Of Blood and Love
by IamMrsGeorgeWeasley
Summary: Love has the power to unite, but blood has the power to save. In Maryse's case, her blood holds the power to either change the world, or destroy it. When the Dark Lord hears of her and what she can do, he makes a discovery that is seemingly impossible. Now not only does he want Harry Potter dead, he wants Maryse brought to him alive.
1. (1) Stars Don't Compare

**AUTHOR'S NOTE -** _This is a complete rewrite of my original story idea, Yours. The further I got and the more clearly I pictured how I wanted things to end, made me unhappy with the original drafts. After talking with the author Malebron, I have been given ideas to better improve each chapter by editing out all unnecessary dialog, unneeded characters, and seemingly repetitive chapters. Now that I know for sure exactly where I want to go with this, chapters should be more interesting with enhanced details that were originally not there from the start. Also, things will not be as fluffy as they were before, but there will still be feel-good parts. While this story will mostly follow along with the movie versions, there will be added details from the books. Without further ado, let's give this a go!_

 **DISCLAIMER -** _All characters from the original Harry Potter series belong solely to JK Rowling. I do not own any rights to characters/movie scenes/book scenes except all OC characters and events not mentioned or shown in the books/movies._

 **...**

Chapter One  
 _Stars Don't Compare_

I lightly laughed while tucking a loose strand of my black hair behind my ear. My friend Riley's date had made a joke while we all sat around one of the tables adorning the Great Hall. It was the night of the Yule Ball, a day that the majority of all the students at Hogwarts had been anticipating. The first dance had ended and practically every student after that had gone up to dance. All except for us, Harry and Ron, and their dates, the Patil twins.

Both of my friends, Jessica and Riley, had managed to successfully obtain dates for the night. Jessica had been asked by an older boy in Ravenclaw and Riley had been asked by a boy from Hufflepuff. I, on the other hand, hadn't been asked by anyone. It didn't come as much of a surprise to me, though, as most students tended to avoid even looking at me.

When I was seven years old, I had gone riding on the horse my parents had bought for me for my birthday. He hadn't yet been broken so my parents had told me I wasn't to ride him until he was. But I had been too excited to wait, and without their knowledge, I decided to take him out and ride him anyways. He immediately threw me off of him the moment I had pulled myself into the saddle and I landed on a sharp rock. The end result was a jagged scar that ran down the left side of my face starting just above my eyebrow and ending by my cheek, framing my eye.

No matter how much makeup I applied, there was no covering it up. The scar was a few shades darker compared to my pale complexion which made it stick out like a sore thumb.

While most other students would be heartbroken that they weren't asked to an event as big as this one, I really didn't mind. I most likely would have said no to anyone that did ask me except for one person; George Weasley.

Ever since I first saw him during my first night at Hogwarts, I was irrevocably smitten. He had been one of the only people to ever look at me and not grimace as soon as they noticed the scar. Instead, he had watched me captivatingly as I took my seat on the stool and was sorted into Ravenclaw. The moment I took my seat at the house table, I either had other students bombarding me for answers about my scar, or they made it a point to actively avoid even looking at me. From that night on, I did what I had always done before; keep to myself and disappear into the background.

And that's how it stayed for the next 4 and a half years. Me watching from a distance while trying desperately to work up the nerve to finally approach him and say hi. No matter how hard I tried, though, it was never enough. I always panicked at the last second and ran.

Although I had agreed to come out with my friends under the impression of having fun, I secretly wanted to see if George would be there as well and see if he had a date. The entire time I was there, I saw no sign of him. Fred had shown up with his date, Angelina, but his brother was no where to be found. I found it strange that one twin was here, but the other wasn't as the two of them always did everything together.

After a while, Jessica and Riley's dates both stood up and walked away from the table. When they were gone, both of my friends leaned in and began to whisper to me.

"The guys have been asking us to go and dance with them for a while now," Riley said first.

"We've been trying to make them understand that we don't want you to feel like we are abandoning you," Jessica said next, fidgeting with her nails.

"Would you mind if we went and danced for a bit, do you?" Riley asked with a yearning look in her eyes.

"Of course I wouldn't mind! It is a dance, after all," I answered, forcing a smile. "I was thinking of heading back to the dormitory anyways. Please, don't let me keep you from having a good time! Thank you for inviting me out." The truth was, I did feel a tad disappointed but not because my friends wanted to go and dance.

"Thanks, Maryse!" they both chimed happily while standing up to chase down their dates.

After they were gone, I stood up myself, scanning the dance floor once more. Convinced that he wasn't here, I turned and made my way out of the Great Hall, holding the skirt to my silver ball gown as I went. I walked past the doors and rounded the corner before I collided with someone else who was walking towards the Great Hall.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! So stupid…" I apologized quickly as I looked up and to see who it was I had walked into.

To my surprise and unmitigated horror, it was George Weasley, wearing dress robes.

I tried to think of something to say but my mind drew an incontrovertible blank. Everything I had thought about what I would say to him if I had ever been given the opportunity to talk to him alluded me in that moment.

To my arrant shock, he smiled at me and gave a little chuckle. "It's quite alright. Nothing broken."

I wasn't sure how to respond, so I just gave a small smile in return.

"Your name is Maryse, correct?" he asked after a few moments when I didn't say anything.

"I…uh…c-correct," I sputtered unintelligibly. "Maryse Shaw."

"I remember watching you get sorted. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you were placed in Ravenclaw? My apologies in advance if I'm wrong. Too many bludgers, you know," he jested, pointing to his head with a smirk.

Before I could stop myself, I laughed. "Sorry. That was probably ill-timed and inappropriate on my part. But you are correct. I got sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Better than Slytherin," he commiserated, grinning widely. It was the most gorgeous smile I had ever seen and it made my breath fluttered.

"Exactly," I managed to say, returning his smile.

He looked at me for a little bit longer before he spoke again. "I couldn't help but notice the ball hasn't ended yet. You weren't you planning on leaving were you?"

"I was," I admitted, shrugging my shoulders unabashedly. "Both of my friends wanted to dance, and I figured I could be using this time to study for my OWLS so…"

"You don't have a date either, huh?" he asked empathetically.

I shook my head and looked down at the floor with humiliation. His hand reached under my chin and pulled it up until I was looking directly into his soft, brown eyes. "You have the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen," he said quietly, studying them intently. "I know you said you were leaving, but I was hoping that maybe you'd like to dance first?"

"With me?" I asked dumbfoundedly.

"There isn't anyone else here, so I guess that answers your question," he answered, holding out his arm in my direction.

With my hands shaking and nothing else to say, I took a hold of his arm and let him lead me back into the Great Hall. Harry and Ron, both now alone, were still sitting at a table, staring reticently at the students packed on the dance floor. George and I walked swiftly down the center of the hall until we reached the dance floor where he expertly turned me until we were facing each other. His left hand went to my waist while mine found his shoulder. Before I knew it, he was pulling me close and leading me around the dance floor.

I spotted my friends staring at me with mixtures of incredulity and elation as they were spun around to the music by their dates. The only response I could give them was a teasing smile and a slight shrug of my shoulders. Every time he spun me around, the bottom of my gown would flair out, resembling a blooming flower fast-forwarded. Whenever he would pull me back into him, I would see his face light up in a smile, knowing that I was enjoying myself.

One dance turned into two and soon the thought of spending the rest of the night alone in my dorm room dissipated entirely. We found ourselves dancing to each song, changing the style to match the tempo of the music that flowed through the air as the band played well into the night.

Before we both knew it, the ball was over and we were being forcibly ushered out of the Great Hall by Filch as he grumbled under his breath about the mess left behind for him to clean up.

We left the Great Hall behind hand in hand, sweat glistening on our skin, and a smile on both of our faces. Once we were clear of the Great Hall, we stopped and I turned to look at the boy who unexpectedly became my date for the evening. "I should probably get back to my room before I get into trouble," I told him, the smile leaving my face. "I had a really great time tonight. Thank you for that."

"The night isn't over yet if you don't want it to be," he said mischievously, a small smile remaining on his face.

"Won't we get caught?" I asked, feeling my heart beat a little faster at the thought of spending more time with George.

"I won't let that happen," he laughed, letting go of my hand. "But if you don't want to, I'll understand."

I watched his hand fall away, every inch of me saying I should decline and go back to my room before we were spotted and called into Dumbledore's office the next day. But seeing the hopeful glimmer in his eye was enthralling enough for me to take the risk. I also wasn't sure I was ready to go back to the way things were before, where we both were nothing more than students attending the same school.

He must have seen my change of heart because he held out his hand for me to take once more. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and grabbed his hand tightly before he decided to rescind the offer. The moment my hand was in his, he was pulling me behind him at a brisk run

.  
"Wait!" I exclaimed after we had only gone a few feet. He turned around to look at me after we stopped, watching as I bent down to lift up the skirt of my gown and take off the high heeled shoes I had worn to the ball. "I can run faster barefoot," I explained with a grin.

I grabbed my shoes in one hand and put my free hand in his again before we both took off running down an empty corridor.

I found myself giggling like a giddy school girl. The last time I had felt like this was when I was 5 years old and learning how to ride a horse for the first time at my family's riding stables. It was thrilling to know that at any moment we could be caught and the more we ran, the less penitent I felt. This activity didn't seem to phase George in the slightest, but that didn't surprise me. George and Fred were well-known around the school for their pesky antics.

While I was lost in the exhilaration of being pulled along through empty corridor after empty corridor, I almost didn't notice when George came to an abrupt stop. He placed a finger to his lips, indicating that I should be quiet. He peered around the corner, looking both ways before determining that the cost was clear. Turning back to me, he motioned for me to follow him. I couldn't place where we were at first until I saw the stairway that lead up to the Astronomy Tower.

And we were headed in that direction.

"George, should we be going this way? What if Sinistra is up there?" I asked, suddenly becoming the habitually nervous Maryse.

"Not tonight she won't be. Not with the Yule Ball. The tower is completely empty," he assured me, stopping in front of me and placing both hands on my shoulders. "If you don't want to go, though, we can turn around right now. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

I looked down at the ground, running through every scenario that could happen if we were to go up there past curfew. Most likely we wouldn't be expelled, but detention was not something I really wanted to have to go through, either. I knew it didn't bother George because he had received enough detention throughout the years, but this would be my first one. When I looked back up, he was waiting patiently for me to give him my answer.

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's go before I change my mind."

Once again, we were on the move, making our way quietly to the stairs that would take us up to the empty classroom. We took the steps two at a time, always looking behind us for any signs of other students, professors, or worse, Mrs. Norris.

After what seemed like forever, we finally made it to the top. Just as George had said, we neither saw nor heard anyone to indicate that someone else was up here with us. We made our way around the armillary sphere and the stone Earth replica, each of us going around separate sides.

"Follow me," he said, motioning for me to follow him over to the observation railing that overlooked the castle and grounds.

I followed behind him, folding my arms over my chest and rubbing them to keep them warm as the wind flowed through the large, open area. The winter air was frigid, and I regretted choosing an off-the-shoulder dress to wear to a winter ball.

"You look like you're freezing," George said, taking off his dress robes until he was wearing only his white, long-sleeved undershirt. He proceeded to drape the robes over my shoulders. I grabbed the sides and pulled them closed against me. "Better?"

"Much, thanks," I responded, smiling softly at him. I approached the railing, George sidling up next to me. He placed his hands on the railing and looked out at the night sky, both of us admiring the tapestry of stars in the sky.

"I've always liked coming out here at night. There's just something about the view that doesn't compare to anything else in the whole world," he said after a moment.

"I always have, too. Astronomy was always a favorite class of mine. Too bad I failed it," I said back, snuggling into his dress robes. They smelled like cedarwood and pine and I immediately became intoxicated by his scent.

"Oh good. I was starting to think that Fred and I were the only failures at Hogwarts," he chuckled humorously.

"What do you know. We have so much in common," I responded, feeling a blush steal across my cheeks.

"We probably shouldn't stay outside long. You look pretty cold. Don't hold it against me, but I just wanted to spend a little more time with you before the night was over," he said reluctantly after a few silent moments.

"You did?" I asked wonderingly, looking at him.

"Of course. We were having so much fun that I didn't want it to end too quickly," he answered sincerely, looking back at me.

I smiled and felt my heart flutter in my chest. "We did have fun, didn't we?" I asked before returning my focus to the stars. "I don't think I've ever seen anything more beautiful," I said softly.

"I have. Everyday," George said immediately in response.

I turned to face him again, about to ask him what he meant. The question caught in my throat when I realized that he was still looking at me. Before I knew it, his hand was cupping my left cheek, stroking my scar gently with his thumb. He lowered his head until his lips met mine, kissing me gently.

My heart thundered in my chest as I closed my eyes and kissed him back, my hand moving unconsciously to the back of his head. I never imagined my night ending like this, but I was overjoyed that it had.

 **…**

George

George walked Maryse back to the top of Ravenclaw tower, holding her hand the entire way. When they reached the top of the stairs, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, watching a blush tint her cheeks red. She smiled at him, told him goodnight, and went disappeared into the Ravenclaw common room. When she was out of sight, George leisurely made his way back to Gryffindor.

While he was making his way back, he couldn't shake the memory of the way Maryse had looked inside the Astronomy tower. The way her hair was messily pinned up on her head, the way her silver dress radiated with the white of the snow, and the way the stars reflected in her blue eyes, turning them an icy grey color. He had never known anyone to coalesce so well with the night, almost as if she had been wearing it, instead of his robes. Robes that he intentionally left in her possession to entice her to seek him out on her own.

Upon entering the common room, he noticed that it was completely empty. Dying embers burned in the fireplace, casting a warm glow around the room. He made his way up the stairs to his dormitory where he found Fred still awake in bed. When he saw his brother enter, a cheeky grin spread across his face.

"Looks like I wasn't the only one having fun tonight," Fred teased, winking at his twin.

"Unlike you, I don't kiss and tell," George ribbed, loosening his tie. "But if you must know…"

"Which you know I do," Fred admitted slyly.

"Nothing happened," George said, smiling amusedly. "We did a bit of stargazing and I walked her back to Ravenclaw. I'm a tad more chivalrous than you, dear brother."

"That's too bad," Fred sighed before crawling underneath his blanket. "What's the point in being twins if they both don't end the night the same way?" Fred razzed his brother.

George laughed silently, shaking his head. "Goodnight, Fred," he said quietly before undressing and slipping underneath his own covers.


	2. (2) Intentional

**...**

Chapter Two  
 _Intentional_

The next morning, Jessica and Riley jumped onto my bed, jolting me from my sleep. I sat up in bed and stared into their smiling, eager faces and I knew I was in for it.

"George Weasley?" they both asked simultaneously, not trying to hide their giddiness. One would have thought that they had been the ones to be get a date with their years-long crush. Jessica flung her long, blonde hair from her face and batted her pale green eyes at me while Riley, her short, light brown hair sticking up all over the place, stared dreamily at me with her cinnamon-colored eyes.

"If you've come to give me shit, then you can just sod off," I said, trying to hide the grin that threatened to take over my face.

"Not a chance!" Jessica laughed while grabbing my pillow and hitting me with it playfully. "Our Maryse is growing up!"

"It's about time!" teased Riley, crossing her legs on my bed. "Tell us everything!"

"Nothing happened. We danced, and that was it," I said softly, picking at my nails to avoid their buoyant faces.

"Try saying that when you aren't wearing his dress robes," Jessica sneered gleefully at me while grabbing the sleeve of it and tugging on it gently.

"Oh no…he must have forgotten to take it back last night after we came back from the…umm…never mind…" I muttered softly.

"You aren't getting off the hook that easily!" Riley stated, scooting closer.

"Where did you two go?" Jessica asked excitedly.

"Please, don't say anything…" I said, checking around the room to make sure it was just as three. "George took me up to the Astronomy Tower after the dance ended. We looked at the stars and he…well…he kissed me."

Both girls gave a shriek of excitement and clasped hands. They had known for a long while that I had a crush on George, so to finally be able to tell them that something had happened was like Christmas to them. I could see they were as excited, if not more, than I was, and that made my stomach drop. While we did have a great time last night, I wasn't even sure if anything would come of this. For all I knew, he had just gotten lost in the spirit of the event. I quickly got out of bed and removed George's dress robes, realizing that I had completely forgotten to take off my dress after I got back the night before.

"Where are you going?" both girls asked at the same time, eyeing me suspiciously.

"To find George," I replied, slipping out of my dress and pulling on a pair of jeans.

"Ooooh," they both taunted saucily, looking at each with huge grins on their faces.

"It isn't like that," I said back in a sing-song voice while pulling on a shirt.

"Who are you trying to convince? Us, or you?" Jessica asked, looking at her nails with feigned interest.

"I'm trying to convince you," I said, answered while pulling on my tennis shoes.

"You could tell he likes you. He couldn't keep his eyes off you," Riley added, staring at me brazenly.

"I'm going to prove to the both of you that last night was nothing more than what it was. Two people who were without dates deciding to dance together to make the most of their night," I said, grabbing the dress robes in a tight fist. I walked to the door, but before I left, I turned and pointed at them. "I'll see you in thirty minutes."

They both looked at each other and then back at me as I left the room.

 **…**

George

"So, Fred, since you asked about Maryse and I last night, what did you and Angelina do?" George asked his brother while scooping scrambled eggs onto his plate.

"Do you want the little kid version, or the uncensored version?" Fred asked back with a smirk while wiggling his eyebrows, grabbing several pieces of toast which he subsequently dropped when Angelina swatted him on the back of the head with her copy of _The Daily Prophet_.

"Don't you _dare_ say a thing about last night," she warned Fred, a teasing sparkle in her eyes.

George laughed at his brother's sheepish grin upon getting scolded. Fred retrieved the dropped toast and slathered butter over them before cramming one into his mouth. He looked up and began nudging his bother to get his attention.

"There's Maryse. We'll leave you two alone. Let's go, love," he said quickly while picking up his plate and ushering Angelina to the other end of the long table.

George looked up and immediately felt a smile widen on his face at the sight of Maryse. Although she didn't look like she had last night underneath the stars, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she still looked in regular clothes. Just like he had hoped, she was clutching his dress robes while scouring the Great Hall for him. When she had spotted him, he waved her over and watched her as she made her way over to where he was seated at the Gryffindor table.

"Good morning, Maryse," George said cheerily.

"Morning," she said back shyly. George's smile faltered, becoming perplexed by her change in attitude. "I wanted to bring this back to you. You forgot to take it last night after you saw me back to Ravenclaw." She held out the dress robes to him, but he didn't take them.

"I didn't forget to take them back," he commented, looking at the robes in her outstretched hands and then back at her.

"You did, though. I woke up and I was still wearing them," she corrected him, letting her hand drop a little when George didn't immediately reach out to reclaim his robes.

"I know that," George smirked while folding his arms on the table. He watched as a blush slowly crept out on her face and he felt his stomach flutter lightly.

"So, then you did forget it."

"I absolutely did not."

George watched as she cocked her head in incertitude. "Are you fucking with me?

Not being able to control it anymore, George let out a laugh. Hurt flashed across her face and George immediately felt guilty. "No, I'm not fucking with you, Maryse. That's the last thing I want to do."

"Then what are you doing?" she asked timidly.

"Ok, let me explain," he said, sitting up straight and unfolding his arms. "I intentionally forgot to ask for my jacket back last night in the hopes that it would give you the incentive to come find me to return it. And give me an excuse to see you again."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if I'm understanding you," she said softly.

"Let me start over," he chuckled, putting his elbows on the table and placing his hands together. "You give me the jacket, I thank you for returning it to me, and then you join me for breakfast."

George wasn't sure what was going through her mind, but she plopped down on the bench across from him with a muddled look on her face.

"Or, maybe not necessarily in that order…" he said while cocking his head slightly.

"Oh! Sorry!" she apologized, handing his robes to him. "I believe this belongs to you."

He smiled and reached out for his robes. He grabbed them but didn't take it back right away. "Thank you."

A faint smile illuminated her face and made George's heart beat faster. He placed his dress robes beside him on the bench all while continuously looking into her soft, pale blue eyes.

"You're being so nice to me," she said after a moment of silence. She looked nervous and about ready to leave.

"Do you prefer I be mean to you?" he asked curiously, hoping to be able to entice her to stay a while longer.

"What? No! Of course, I don't want you to be mean. It's just..." She looked around worriedly as she picked out her next words carefully. "I'm trying to understand why it doesn't bother you."

"I have no clue what you mean," he answered, a puzzled look crossing his face.

"How haven't you noticed?" she asked incredulously. With one hand, she tucked her hair behind her head to reveal the scar on the side of her face. "It isn't like it blends in very well."

"I won't lie, I have noticed it before," he said honestly. He put his hands up and looked at her with understanding. "You have a scar. So what? I have loads of them myself."

"One that looks this horrendous? One that everyone judges you for?" she asked with a little hostility.

"Do your friends judge you for it?" he asked, referencing Jessica and Riley.

"No…," she admitted reluctantly.

"Have I ever said or done anything to imply that I'm judging you because you have a scar?"

"Not that I'm aware of," she answered honestly.

"Then why are you placing me in the category of everybody else?" he questioned softly.

"I don't know, honestly. I'm probably ruining everything, aren't I?" she asked apologetically while placing her hands on the table.

"Just the opposite, in fact," he responded. She must have been expecting a different answer because she looked at him with hopefulness.

He looked back at her softly and reached across the table to place his hand over hers. "Your scar does not define you. If everybody else wants to judge you for something as miniscule as that, then that's on them. They're missing out on getting to know you." He stopped talking and looked into the depths of her eyes. "With or without the scar, I think you are the most amazing, fascinating, beautiful women I've ever met."

George watched as her cheeks became a rosy color and her mouth turned up in a smile. "I know I'm probably going to regret asking this…but why, of all nights, did you choose last night to talk to me?"

"Because I knew if I didn't, you never would have talked to me first," he replied unabashedly. "If you honestly think I never noticed you watching me, warring with yourself about approaching me, then you're in for a bit of a shock. I have noticed. I've noticed for years. I never approached you because I wanted to see if the shy, quiet girl who has admired me from a distance would be able to break out of her shell. Every time I would turn away, though, you would leave. By the time I looked back, you were already long gone."

Maryse lowered her head and closed her eyes in embarrassment. George placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head up. She opened her eyes once more and he could see shame written all over her face. He smiled gently, showing her that he wasn't offended by her behavior.

"I just wanted to give you a little push in the right direction," he said, taking his hand back when he saw her smile again. "Now. Will you please join me for breakfast?"

Maryse nodded and began to pile food onto the empty plate in front of her, all the while George beaming because his plan had worked. From the other side of the table, Fred was fist pumping the air much to Angelina's embarrassment.

 **…**

After breakfast, George walked me through the doors of the Great Hall.

"Thank you again for returning my dress robes. My mum would have hexed me into next week if I'd have lost them," George said contentedly. Fred and Angelina nudged past us but not before Fred enthusiastically clapped George on the back.

"You're welcome. Thank you for letting me borrow them last night," I said back as I watched his twin walk down the hallway with his arm slung around Angelina's shoulders. "I suppose I'll see you later then?"

"Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to come and watch us during Quidditch today," George suggested, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I thought Dumbledore said there weren't any matches this year because of the Triwizard Tournament?" I asked perplexedly.

"He did. But the team decided that we should still practice so we don't lose our edge for next year," he explained. He inclined his head to indicate that he wanted us to start walking. "Loads of students show up to watch practices, so I thought maybe you'd like to attend as well. It would mean a lot to see you there cheering me on."

"Seeing as I have nothing better planned for the day, I suppose I'll take you up on that offer. Although I must warn you. I never was an adept cheerleader. I'm afraid you'll find yourself quite disappointed in my dearth enthusiasm. I'm afraid it may make you lose hope and you'll wind up in the Hospital Wing after crashing to the ground in disappointment," I joked, eliciting a smile from him.

"I'll take my chances," he said lightly before stopping at the bottom of the stairs of Ravenclaw tower. "Dress warm. I'll be watching for you." He leaned down and kissed me with a little more intensity than the night before. I felt my heart pick up speed and my stomach explode in a fresh wave of butterflies. Before I knew it, he broke the kiss and began walking backwards away from me, a mischievous smile on his face. He turned around and disappeared down the corridor, leaving me with a yearning hunger.


	3. (3) Bludgers and Beaters

**...**

Chapter Three  
 _Bludgers and Beaters_

Watching George zooming around the Quidditch pitch sporting his scarlet robes and swinging his bat was nothing foreign to me. While I had never seen practices, I had spent many Saturday afternoons standing on the observation platform amongst the other students observing the games. Even though Quidditch was a game I had never heard of until coming to Hogwarts, it didn't take me long to understand the appeal that pureblooded witches and wizards found in it. I found no difficulty in getting absorbed with the accuracy and precision in which the players flew, the strategic plays, and the deafening roar of classmates and teachers alike as they cheered on the players.

Standing on the platform, I watched as George and Fred soared through the air, maneuvering between the goal posts and their fellow teammates. Whenever either caught sight of a bludger heading towards one of them, the closest twin would fly at breakneck speed to reach them on time. There wasn't a single one that they had missed. It was an understatement to say that Fred and George were singlehandedly the best beater team in the whole school. The way they organized themselves felt like they could almost read each other's mind, and, for all I knew, they could.

Two hours had passed before Angelina called the team down to the middle of the pitch. I wasn't able to hear what she was saying, but it was most likely informing them of areas where they could improve on during their next practice.

Dismissing them, they all disbanded and headed towards the school locker rooms just outside the pitch. I pushed away from the edge of the platform and made my way to the stairs to wait for George to finish change. It was only a few minutes before he emerged from within the enclosed space, dressed in his street clothes. He zipped up his jacket and spotted me standing next to the doorway. Upon seeing me, his face lit up in a grin and we began making our way back up to the castle.

"Looks like having you here worked. I'm still in one piece," George said, patting his sides once before slipping his hands inside of his jacket pockets.

"I may have put a little extra effort into cheering you on. Glad it worked," I responded, wrapping the new cloak I received for Christmas from my parents tighter around me.

The snow kicked up in drifts as we walked, covering the bottom halves of our legs in white dust. We were forced to squint as the snow sparkled like a dress covered in sequins in the sunlight.

"Watching you flying around the pitch with such precision and vivacity is absolutely brilliant," I said admittedly.

"I try," he laughed without meeting my gaze. "Fred and I have been playing ever since we learned how to ride a broom. Our older brother, Charlie, was a Seeker during his years at Hogwarts and we would always listen intently about the games he played when he would come home."

"Have you ever thought about trying to play for an International team?" I asked curiously as we approached the school.

"It's crossed my mind a time or two. I guess I haven't put a whole lot of thought into it. Fred has always talked about opening up our own shop to sell our products," he replied despondently, shrugging his shoulders.

"Is that what you want to do?" I asked.

"Some day I think it would be a great idea. Give ourselves enough time to perfect our products, think of new ideas, and save up the money needed to even open a shop. I feel we would be setting ourselves up for failure by rushing into something without a set plan in place."

"Maybe you should talk to Fred about your concerns. Tell him what you feel would be the best possible route to take for the highest chance of success. What's the worst that he could say?" I encouraged. "You have your whole lives to open your own shop, but only a limited time to be a professional Quidditch player."

"You think so?" he asked optimistically, stopping to face me once we reached the outer grounds of the castle where Madam Hooch conducted flying lessons.

"I know so. You and your brother have an immense amount of talent up in the air. Don't let it go to waste."

George nodded a few times, a smile creeping over his face. I smiled back before he enveloped me in a warm embrace.

"Well, well, well. It looks like the rumors are true. Little Georgie has himself a new pet," a taunting voice sounded from behind us. We both turned and saw Cassius Warrington and several of the Slytherin Quidditch players heading our way. "How did your family manage to afford that one?"

The group of Slytherins behind Cassius chuckled at the insult. I felt my cheeks getting warm as a blush reddened my face.

"Don't you and your girlfriends have something else you could be doing right now? Painting each other's nails, perhaps?" George asked in annoyance.

The smile that was on Cassius's face seconds ago dropped and was replaced with irritation. "Better watch your mouth, Weasley. It could get you into trouble if you aren't careful."

"Just because you're upset that Gryffindor can't kick your asses all over the pitch this year doesn't mean you need to go and make yourself a bigger prat than you already are," George quipped resolutely.

"Such impressive remarks," said Cassius sarcastically, walking slowly towards us. "Tell me. Are you trying so hard to insult me because you still have yet to fuck her, or is she as easy as she looks?"

The words hadn't left Cassius's lips for more than a second before George was stalking through the snow to reach the blonde-haired Slytherin. His reaction made Cassius smile in satisfactory jubilation.

Before George could make it to Cassius, I was chasing after him, grabbing his arm to make him stop. I managed to slow him down before he had time to close the distance between them. His fists were clenching and unclenching with agitation. "Don't. It isn't worth it," I said, trying to get him to walk away.

"My apologies. All this time I thought that she was the pet, but it looks like I was wrong," Cassius taunted dryly, the corners of his mouth turning up in a wicked grin.

George attempted to charge Cassius again, but before he could, I rushed in front of him and placed both of my hands on his chest, pushing against him. It wasn't easy as he was quite a bit taller than I was. It felt like two magnets repelling each other. "Stop! Let it go!"

"That's pretty low, even for you, Warrington. Harassing other students because you feel they're inferior to you. You're nothing but an insufferable tyrant. You, and the rest of your group," George spat venomously. I could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest against my palms and I knew if I didn't get him moving in the other direction, he wouldn't hesitate to pounce on Cassius.

"Please," I begged, noticing the muscles of his jaw pulsating with tension. "Don't stoop to his level."

With reluctance, I felt George's body relax. I could still see a fire burning within his eyes, but at least he wasn't trying to push past me anymore. He let out a loud breath of air through his nose before he spun on his heels, grasping my hand and leading me away.

"You give the rest of us purebloods a bad name, you know," Cassius called out behind us. "Shacking up with mudbloods like her will only spell the demise of your shoddy ancestral name. Probably for the best."

This time, it was me that stopped in my tracks. Anger swelled up inside of me, filling every crevice of my being. Without thinking, I ripped my hand out of George's and spun around, storming up to the smug, arrogant Slytherin. When he noticed it was me approaching him, he began to laugh hysterically.

"Looks like he sicked his attack poodle on me, boys. Wonder if her bite is as feeble as her bark," the boy derided viciously. "Careful, or you'll find yourself with a matching scar on the other side of your face, mudblood."

Before I could stop myself, my arm swung back and shot forward, my clenched fist meeting his face with fierce aggression. The force caused Cassius to take a few wobbly steps backwards. He raised his hand to touch the side of his mouth where my fist had made contact, wiping away blood that was bubbling up from an open slit. Shock engulfed his expression when he saw what I had done, immediately replaced with boiling rage when his friends started laughing at him.

"I'm going to make you wish you hadn't of done that, mudblood," he hissed, his eyes narrowing malevolently.

My arm was pulling back in preparation for another punch, but someone was grabbing my hand and pulling me quickly away before I could follow through. I saw the back of George's head as we broke into a run, his red hair drifting back in the wind. We were inside the confines of the castle within seconds, barreling down the empty hallway and around a corner out of sight.

He stopped me and placed his hands on my shoulders, my back grazing the stone wall behind me. His face was a mixture of surprise, exuberance, and humor. He was grinning broadly from ear to ear.

"Are you insane?" he asked excitedly, failing to hide his delight. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"The prick had it coming. I don't take being called _that_ word lightly. He got what he deserved," I said defensively.

"All this time I thought you were the only one of us that was reserved," he gushed in admiration. "I shouldn't be as elated as I feel right now, but goddamn it that was bloody brilliant."

His hands left my shoulders and went up to cup my face fiercely in his hands, pulling my face to his and kissing me with fervent intensity. Our lips meshed harmoniously together, moving in perfect synchronicity. I felt a burning desire spread throughout my whole body as he pulled himself closer to me.

His teeth playfully grazed my bottom lip, enticing me to part my lips and let his tongue explore the inside of my mouth with a gentle zeal. My hands reached up to his head where my fingers entangled themselves in his hair, my body pressing against his with an insatiable yearning. I was guessing he was getting the same feeling because before I knew it, my cloak was discarded in a heap on the floor and he had picked me up effortlessly, pressing my body against the wall, my legs wrapping around his waist. One hand began sliding underneath my shirt, making my body shudder and a wave of goosebumps erupt over my arms as his fingers caressed my skin gingerly.

His lips migrated from my mouth to my neck, biting me affectionately. He ground his hips into me, forcing a soft moan to sound in my throat. Every inch of my body was begging for more.

Almost as quickly as it had started, George was backing away from me and I was dropped to my feet as someone cleared their throat from the end of the corridor. We both turned and saw Madam Hooch standing there with unfeigned disapproval. I quickly gathered my cloak in my hands as she began walking purposefully towards us.

"Student fraternization is off limits on school grounds, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Shaw. I trust you haven't forgotten that rule amidst heated passion and teenage hormones," Madam Hooch scolded with authority.

"No, Madam Hooch. We haven't forgotten," I said instantly, my cheeks breaking out in a blush.

"We're sorry. We understand that it was out of line and it won't happen again," George added, staring at the flying instructor and Quidditch referee nervously.

"See that it doesn't," she said with finality. Her profound yellow eyes went back and forth between us. "You're lucky it was me that came across you two or the both of you would be in detention. I trust you two can make your way back without any further infelicitous engagements."

"Yes, Ma'am," George assured before she turned and walked away from us.

 **…**

George

George entered the Gryffindor common room later that evening after dinner. Students filled every inch of the enclosed space, talking quietly. Some were still talking about the Yule Ball while others were gathered in groups to complete their homework before lessons started up again after the holidays. George found Fred over by the fire, talking with Harry about the upcoming trip to Hogsmeade. Walking over, both boys greeted him with smiles and remarks about their earlier Quidditch practice.

"Can I talk to you, Fred?" George asked nervously, hinting for Harry to leave them alone. Harry took the hint and said goodbye before joining Ron and Hermione who were scouring over the mass of open books at a table across the room.

"What's on your mind, George?" Fred asked with a smile, taking a seat at another table that was open.

"Probably nothing, but I wanted to talk to you about it anyways. I've been thinking a lot about our future outside of Hogwarts," George started off slowly, testing his brother's reaction.

"With the shop?" Fred asked eagerly, a grin spreading across his face at the thought of it.

"Yes and no. Don't get me wrong, I think opening our own shop is a great idea, but I've been wondering about a few things."

"Like?" Fred prodded curiously.

"How will we be able to afford it? What if it falls flat and we're left with nothing?" George answered, bringing forth the thoughts he had been harboring for quite some time.

"I'm sure it'll all work out. We can find investors and sell some products on the side in order to save up."

"And if both of those ideas don't work? What then?"

"I guess I haven't really given it much thought honestly. Are you thinking about backing out?"

"Of course not! Having our own shop is still something I want to do…" George paused, picking out his next words carefully. "I just don't think we should do it right away."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Hear me out because I think this could be a great opportunity for us. I think we should try our chances at playing International Quidditch first," George blurted quickly before he decided to change his mind. "We could play for a few years until we save enough money and when we decide to retire, we use those royalties to build our dream shop. What do you think?"

Fred looked at the table, deep in contemplation over what George had suggested. His head bobbed up and down in nods occasionally as he worked out the pros and cons to himself. When he looked back up, his eyes were sparkling with consensus for the idea.

"I think that could work. It definitely wouldn't hurt any to have two different plans in place," Fred said. "Plus, people may be more willing to visit a shop owned by two famous Quidditch players. And if we take our products off the market during that time frame, demand for them will go up dramatically, increasing our revenue substantially when we put them back on the market."

George laughed at his brother's optimism, elated that he was in agreement to the idea. "We do make some of the best Beaters in all of England. Just one of us is enough to improve a team's chance of winning. Together, we're unstoppable. And, if I remember correctly, there has never been a set of twins playing for the same Quidditch team before, either."

"Publicity at it's finest. Alright, lets do it," Fred smirked.


	4. (4) Unseen

**...**

Chapter Four  
 _Unseen_

"Studying for your OWLs again, are you?" George commented as he sat down at the Ravenclaw table next to me during lunch. He grabbed the uneaten half of my sandwich and kissed my cheek, forcing me to smile.

"Of course. Unlike you, I wish to do well on them. You aren't the only one who has wild dreams they would like to see come true," I quipped while taking my sandwich back and taking a bite. He stuck his tongue out at me and grabbed the book I had open in front of me.

"I still don't understand why you're so interested in the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position," he said while flipping absently through the book. I grabbed the book and pulled it back, opening the book back to where I was.

George and I had been dating for a couple of months now. He found it odd that I would wish to pursue a teaching career and always made it a point to iterate his dislike for school and that he would never step foot inside of Hogwarts again after he graduated.

"There's just something about it that I find intriguing. There are so many things that are considered Dark and I want to do everything in my power to teach others how to defend themselves against it," I explained while writing on a roll of parchment.

"I still believe being an Auror would suit you. You'd make a bloody good one."

"Professor Moody said the same thing to me earlier this year. The way I see it, there are always people wanting to become Aurors. It isn't exactly a job with many openings. With this job, I could help other students get on the right path to becoming an Auror themselves," I answered, setting my quill down and looking over at him. "Plus, one of us has to have a profession that doesn't involve risking your life daily."

"Ouch! I'm hurt!" George exaggerated, holding his chest with both hands and forcing a pained look on his face. In response, I pushed him lightly until he was leaning the other way.

A few seconds later, we were joined by Fred, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They both sat down surrounding us, a sullen look on Harry's face.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you've just seen a ghost," joked George.

"He may as well have. Dumbledore just announced the second task," Ron said.

"And he still hasn't figured out how to solve the clue from his egg," Hermione chipped in, taking notice of the books in front of me. "Are you preparing for your OWLs?"

I was about to respond before I was cut off.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Harry," Fred said encouragingly, patting Harry on the shoulder. "When is the start of the next task?"

"In two days," Harry replied glumly.

Everyone sitting at the table looked at each other, sharing the same looks of concern. Hermione perked up in her seat and said, "We'll help you in any way we can, Harry. Maybe we could find something in the lib-."

"Oh, not the library again! What makes you think that there could possibly be an answer in any of those books?" griped Ron, bringing his hand down on the table. "The books here aren't going to contain the clues Harry needs to figure out that egg!"

"Fine. Then you tell me what he should do because obviously everything he's tried hasn't worked yet," Hermione snapped. "If he doesn't try _something_ then he's going to fail."

"Could you please stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Harry chided, looking back and forth between his friends. "This constant bickering isn't helping me. I understand that I need to figure this out, but Ron has a point. I don't think there will be anything in the library that can help me figure out the egg."

George, Fred, and I glanced humorously at each other as the trio continued to squabble like school children.

 **…**

The next two days passed by in a hurry. Hallways and common rooms buzzed with conversation as everyone was throwing around ideas on what the champions would have to do for the second task. I dressed as quickly as I could to meet up with everyone at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. When I arrived, everyone was there except for Ron and Hermione. I sat down next to George and Fred. Both of them were talking with Harry, and all three were wondering where they were.

"Ron wasn't in his bed when I woke up this morning. He wasn't even there when I went to bed. I asked around the common room and no one has seen Hermione, either," Harry said nervously, constantly glancing around the Great Hall for any sign of his friends.

"This is odd," Fred commented. "You don't suppose it has something to do with the task today, do you?"

"I'm not sure, but I definitely don't have a good feeling right now," Harry admitted with certitude.

"Try not to think about it. I'm sure everything will be just fine," I said softly, placing a comforting hand on Harry's shaky one.

"She does have a point," George beamed at me. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

Harry, not convinced, gave a quick, insincere smile, and looked back down at his replete plate.

 **…**

After breakfast, Fred and George had gone back to the Gryffindor common room to retrieve something they planned on bringing to the task. I wasn't sure what it was, but they told me not to ask questions and that they would meet up with me later.

I sat by the docks, scouring the throng of students as they made their way down to the boats we were instructed to board. When one was filled, it pulled away which was immediately replaced by another. The crowd was beginning to thin out as the last of the students approached, but I still saw no sign of George or Fred. Noticing that there were only a couple of boats left and not many people left to board, I set off in search of them. On my way back up the hill, I came across Ginny.

"Have you seen George or Fred anywhere?" I asked her hopefully.

"They're up there taking bets," Ginny said, showing annoyance in her brother's antics as she pointed behind her. Thanking her with a nod, I continued my way up the hill.

After a few minutes, I heard their voices as clear as day just past the top of the hill. I picked up my speed and soon, their indistinguishable red hair came into view. As soon as I saw that they were indeed taking bets on the winner, I rolled my eyes.

"Honestly, George?" I called, shaking my head at him when he turned around. "Let's go! The last of the boats are leaving!"

"What do you say, George? Take this to the people?" Fred asked his twin.

"Absolutely, Fred," George responded, closing up the case that was hanging from his neck. He walked up to me and placed an arm around my shoulders, walking in the direction I had just come from.

"I want to say that I'm surprised, but I don't think I would mean it," I scolded him playfully, grabbing the hand that hung loosely against my shoulder.

"Oh, it's only a bit of fun! No need to get your knickers in a knot!" Fred teased me.

We arrived to see only one more boat left. The three of us boarded and barely had time to sit down before the boat was pulling away from the dock. We sat in silence, listening to the water slap against the sides of the boat. With the distance we had traveled, it became obvious we were heading towards the middle of the Black Lake.

After several minutes, three large 5-story wooden docks came into view as we rounded the last bend in the lake. The other boats that had arrived earlier were all anchored away from them and the stands overlooking the lake were filled with the students.

We saw the four champions standing at the edge of the dock we were approaching. Every one of them was looking uneasily at the water. When our boat docked, we made our way quickly up to the second level to join the rest of the student body.

While I was busy looking at the dark water surrounding us, my mind began to imagine what lay beneath the surface in the shadowy depths. There were only rumors, of course, but in this world, it was hard to say what was real and what wasn't. I looked backed over at George and noticed he and Fred were scanning the faces of the students.

"Everything alright?" I asked tentatively.

"Just wondering where Ron is. We still haven't seen him yet today," he answered honestly.

Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed his upper arm and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm sure he's alright. He might be on one of the other docks," I suggested, sounding more hopeful than I felt.

We had been standing and waiting for a few moments before I felt a cold chill, like a torrent of icy water, creep up my spine. It felt like I was being watched by someone or something. I turned my head and scanned the crowd of students behind us. Familiar and unfamiliar faces alike were shuffling back and forth, trying to catch a glimpse of the lake in front of us. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but the feeling wasn't subsiding.

"Welcome to the second task!" boomed Dumbledore's voice, making me turn my attention back to the lake. "Last night, something was stolen from each of our champions; a treasure, of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake. In order to win, each champion need only find their treasure, and return to the surface. Simple enough except for this; they will have but one hour to do so and one hour only! After that, they'll be on their own. No magic will save them. You may begin at the sound of the cannon."

The canon sounded, and all four of the champions dove into the water. A silence fell upon us as we watched and waited, our breathes catching in our throat. A few seconds later, we saw Harry jump up in the water. The entire student body let out a cheer as he dove back down beneath the murky depths of the lake.

After about 20 minutes, Fleur emerged from the lake, swimming towards the docks. Dumbledore announced that she was no longer able to take part in the task before she was pulled up onto the dock and given a towel to ward off the cold.

"There goes my bet!" protested a student from behind us as he stormed away into the crowd.

I looked over and saw George grinning. I gave him a nudge to the side with my elbow. "Be nice," I hissed, but not without smiling a tad myself.

My spine was still tingling with the icy sensation and it was starting to become unbearable. I shrugged my shoulders to try and shake it, but it was still there, as strong as ever. Turning my head again, I rescanned the student body, but just like before, I saw nothing.

I heard a splash below us, so I turned back to the lake to see Cedric Diggory floating in the water, holding onto Cho. A few minutes later, Krum surfaced with Hermione.

"Oh no. There's Hermione," whispered George, looking up at the clock. "If she was down there, then that means Ron must be down there as well. If Harry doesn't hurry…"

I swallowed hard as the truth of what George was saying hit me. The champions weren't looking for objects; they were looking for people.

George kept looking back and forth between the clock and the surface of the water. I could feel him becoming anxious beside me as each minute ticked by with no sign of Ron or Harry, so I began to rub his arm soothingly, trying to ignore the icy discomfort that was now pulsating in my spine.

Before we knew it, the clock rang out that the time was up Just at that moment, both Ron and Fleur's sister, Gabrielle, broke through the surface of the water. I heard both George and Fred let out a huge sigh of relief, not realizing that they had both been holding their breath.

A few more moments passed by, and then Harry shot out of the water, landing with a thud on the dock. Loud cheers rang up through the crowd, hands clapped in unison, and banners were waved in the air.

It was at that moment that the icy chill had dissipated. A flood of relief coursed through me and caused me to let out my own sigh of relief.


	5. (5) First Glimpse

**...**

Chapter Five  
 _First Glimpse_

Talk about the second task had lasted for several weeks afterwards. Nobody could get over Harry's heroic endeavor at the Black Lake. Harry had received more praise than he had before then. A couple more months drug by as the anticipation of the third, and final, Tri-Wizard task approached. Students frantically busied themselves with the approaching finals, and all fifth years were so consumed with their studies for their OWLs. I was no exception.

Every day and night that I was awake was spent preparing and no matter how much I spent studying, I never felt any closer to being ready. George must have been feeling my stress after having done them himself last year, because he provided me with more patience whenever we were together and had tried harder to make me laugh or even smile. While I knew he meant well, I didn't feel there was any way I could relax until after they were over.

The day finally happened when Dumbledore had announced the start of the last task. Everyone had been in the Great Hall for dinner when the Headmaster approached the podium, his face devoid of his usual friendly spirit. Instead, he wore a look of somberness.

"The end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament is upon us at long last. Our four, brave champions, have faced the first two tasks with dauntless bravery. None knew what to expect and this task shall be no different. I can not go into details about what our four champions will face, only that it will be onerously arduous. Tomorrow evening, we shall wish them luck as they each race to claim the trophy," Dumbledore said, leaving the entire mass of bodies in the Great Hall silent as they all pondered over his words.

 **…**

The next day, everyone found themselves back outside for the last task of the tournament. We were all in stands overlooking the largest maze I had ever seen. There were 4 entrances to allow each champion his or her own path through the maze.

I stood next to George, holding his arm while I listened to the music Professor Flitwick had his students rehearse in honor of the event. Every student around us were either cheering or performing little choreographed dances they had put together to show support to their favored champion. I looked over and saw that Draco Malfoy and his two friends were in favor of Krum which didn't come as a shock that they would be cheering for someone from a different school.

After a few more minutes, the champions started to emerge. First was Cedric with his dad. Fleur came next with her sister and Headmistress. Krum was followed by another boy and his school's Headmaster. Harry came out last with Dumbledore beside him. When all the champions were out where they needed to be, Dumbledore took his place on the little podium set up facing the stands.

"Silence!" said Dumbledore, using a spell to amplify his voice. All students and staff alike fell immediately silent and took their seats. "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows it's exact position. Now, as Mr. Diggory, and Mr. Potter tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze. Followed by Mr. Krum, and Ms. Delacour. The first person to touch the cup will be the winner! I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter. If at any point a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands. Contestants! Gather round. Quickly!"

"Now we know when he said race for the cup, her was being literal," I whispered to George when Dumbledore had gathered the 4 champions around him. "What do you think he's talking to them about?"

"Probably good luck and hope they don't die," George answered jokingly.

"That's not funny," I scolded, feeling goosebumps crawl up my arms.

"Champions! Prepare yourselves! On the count of three. One-." Dumbledore didn't get a chance to finish before Filch fired the canon.

We all watched as both Harry and Cedric entered the maze through two of the entrances. They both looked back to glance at everyone and within seconds, the maze closed, swallowing them up. Krum and Fleur followed suit and they, as well, were soon enclosed within the maze. Silent murmurs passed between the students as they tried to guess at what was lurking in the expansive hedges.

George and Fred were talking and laughing amicably between themselves while I chose to stay quiet and wait as patiently as I could for the winner to be announced. As much as I should be worried, I found myself more fascinated by what lay hidden inside. I could feel dark works emanating from the rows and it gave me a chill, but a good kind of chill. The kind of chill that drew you to something even though you should be very afraid of it.

I had become lost in my thoughts about what was hiding within the hedges of the maze that I almost lost my balance when I felt a strange feeling creep over me. It felt like someone was watching me again like at the Black Lake, but this time I wasn't feeling ice. This time, it felt like my spine was being scalded by a fiery inferno. I turned fully around and stared at every face of the student behind me individually. Just like before, I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Are you alright, love?" I heard George ask me, catching me off guard and causing me to jump in surprise.

"Yeah," I mumbled, taking one more cursory glance at the crowd. "It's nothing. I just wanted to check something out.

I turned back around and felt George place his hand on my back. The burning felt so intense that I was surprised when he didn't pull his hand back upon contact. Shrugging my shoulders, I tried to ignore the increasingly intensifying sensation.

It seemed like hours had passed before we saw red sparks fly up in the air about halfway through the maze. After a while, we heard whisperings that Fleur had been found tangled up in a mass of roots underneath one of the hedges. Many students groaned and cursed as their favored champion had been disqualified from winning the tournament. I felt my gut twist in knots as a stifling wave of enigmatic energy enveloped me like an invisible shadow.

Something didn't feel right, but it seemed like I was the only one to pick up on it.

An hour passed by. I could still feel the sweltering heat in my spine and I was beginning to suffocate under the ever-increasing weight of unexplainable energy surrounding me. Surely someone had to have found the cup by now…

Just then, Harry and Cedric appeared out of nowhere into the clearing in front of the maze. The cup fell out of Harry's hand. The second they appeared was when the air around me became clear and I could breathe normally again. Gasps of air entered my lungs, forcing me to cough uncontrollably. When the coughing fit had subsided, I stood up and looked down at the two boys on the ground. Harry was crying, and Cedric wasn't moving.

My throat restricted as I realized that he was dead. I could feel the darkness that had surrounded me moments go emanating off his corpse as the curse that took his life continued to linger.

I watched as Dumbledore attempted to get Harry off of Cedric, but his attempts were useless.

The next words out of Harry's mouth made my blood freeze and my skin grow clammy. "He's back! He's back! Voldemort's back." Whatever he had said next was lost to me as my mind began to race.

I was so focused on those words that I didn't even realize that Cedric's dad had shoved past me to get down to where the body of his only son lay dead on the ground. My heart reached out to him as he cried out in despair. Before I knew it, I was walking down to the man as he fell apart on the ground. George realized what I was doing and tried calling for me to stop but his voice was nothing more than an echo in the back of my mind.

Professors tried to stop me, but I ignored their warnings and continued making my way to where the man was crying inconsolably. I knelt beside Cedric's dad as he cried out for his lost son. Placing my hand over his, he looked up at me with tears streaming down his face.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Diggory. I can't even begin to imagine what you're feeling. Your son was an amazing man and you should be proud of him. His death will not be in vain. Even if I have to avenge him myself," I assured him. "But for now, you need to remain strong. For Cedric. He wouldn't want to see you falling apart like this."

He stared at me, his eyes dilating, before nodding gently with a pained smile on his face. I felt a set of hands fall on my shoulders, so I looked up and saw Dumbledore looking down at me gently. He helped me up and walked me back to the stands where I saw George waiting.

When I was back in the stands, I looked at him briefly. He nodded at me once before he turned abruptly and began working on having Cedric's body moved back to the castle.

"All students are to make their way back to their house common rooms and remain there for the rest of the night. Any student caught out in the halls in an hour shall be given detention until the end of the year," Professor McGonagall told all the students who were peering down through watery eyes at the body of their fellow classmate.

"I'll meet you back in the common room," George said to Fred as he wrapped his arm around me, leading me away from the throng of students as they began to make their way back to the castle.

When we were past the stands, he pulled me aside and grabbed both of my shoulders, forcing me to face him. "What in the bloody hell was that?" he asked me with enthused curiosity.

"I-I don't know," I mumbled. Even I wasn't sure what just happened.

"How do you not know? One minute, the man is wailing despairingly, and the next he's acting like his son hadn't just died!" George exclaimed exasperatedly.

"I don't know! It's something I've been able to do for as long as I can remember." I turned away from him and wrung my hands nervously.

"I'm having a hard time understanding what you mean," he said gently, approaching me slowly.

I turned around and stared into his brown eyes. I could see the bewilderment within their depths. "When I was a little girl, my mum always used to tell me that I had a knack for persuading people to give me what I wanted. Whenever we would go to the shops, I would end up leaving with my choice of candy. She told me that all I did was look the clerk in the eyes and tell them I wanted something, and they would just hand it over no questions asked. It got so bad that she eventually stopped taking me with her."

"Candy?" he asked skeptically.

"And other things. Sometimes toys," I admitted hesitantly before continuing. "There was this one time when I was three, I saw a man frantically searching for his dog that had run away. He had been calling for that dog for ages when I finally went over to him and told him that he needed to stop being sad because he would eventually find his dog. Just like with Cedric's dad, the man calmed down immediately."

"Has there been other times this has happened?" George asked inquiringly.

"Loads," I answered, continuing to look at him. "I don't know why, and I don't know how, so I can't tell you any more than what I know."

He nodded once and pulled me against him, wrapping his arms around me delicately. I buried my face into his chest and clung to him, trying to silence the lingering echoes of a mourning father who had lost his whole world tonight from my mind.


	6. (6) Underlying Truth

**...**

Chapter Six

 _Underlying Truth_

George

George apparated seemingly in the middle of nowhere, a backpack slung over his shoulder. He tucked his wand away in his pocket and looked around at his surroundings, noticing he was on the side of a rocky road similar to the road that led up to the Burrow. Trees surrounded both sides of the long stretch of road, shade cascading over him like a blanket. He wasn't sure exactly where he was, but he knew he must be close to where Maryse lived based on the picture she had sent in her last letter.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the letter and the picture out from his back pocket opposite the one he had just put his wand in. His eyes scanned over the letter again, a small smile playing over his face.

 _George,  
I'm very excited to see you! I hope you are able to make your way just fine with only this picture. I know with my parents being muggles that you are unable to floo to my house, but I trust you'll arrive just fine. You'll know you found the right place when everywhere you look you see nothing but trees! If only I were joking. Taped to the back of the picture is a button. Just in case. I'll see you soon! _

_Maryse_

George folded up the letter and examined the photo. A tall, wooden arch framing the entrance to a driveway was the first thing he took note of. A sign hanging down from it read _Shaw Stables_ on the top and _Tintern, UK_ under that in smaller the background stood a very beautiful, two-story, white-brick house with a two-stall attached garage. The shingles and window shutters, both dark grey in color, perfectly complimented the house. Along the outside George could see small, evenly spaced shrubs adorning the base of the house. While the house was captivating, his eye was drawn to something even more beautiful.

Leaning against one of the poles of the arch was Maryse, a radiant smile placed on her face as she posed for whoever had taken the picture.

George turned the picture over and saw the small, navy blue button taped to the back of the picture. He ran his finger over it gently before carefully peeling away the tape, letting the button fall into the palm of his hand. Folding the letter back up and placing it and the picture safely back in his pocket, he grabbed is wand again and pointed the tip of it at the button.

" _Avenseguim_ ," he said. Almost immediately the button shot up from George's palm and began circling in the air around him before floating away in the opposite direction he was facing. He pocketed his wand and quickly hurried after the button before he lost sight of it.

In a matter of a few minutes, the shape of a wooden arch and the white-brick house beyond it came into view directly before him. His heart pumped faster in his chest at the sight of it, ecstatic that he hadn't, in fact, apparated too far away from her home. He picked up his speed until he was keeping pace with the button. When he reached the wooden arch, he stopped and watched as the button continued forward towards the house and into an open window on the second level.

His eyes glanced up at the wooden sign hanging down and he smiled. The sounds of horses whinnying reached his ears in the otherwise quiet of the country property. When he looked back at the house, he saw the door open and Maryse step out onto the front step. She had her hand in the air, the button gripped in her fingers, and a smile on her face.

 **…**

"I can't believe you're here!" I exclaimed as I fell into him, feeling his arms wrap around me tightly. His scent filled me up and I immediately became lost in him. We had only been out of school for a couple of weeks, but I had missed him like crazy.

"I can't believe I am, either, honestly. The fact that you said your parents want to meet me scares me more than anything I've ever faced before. Even more than the year we got caught stealing my father's car to go and rescue Harry from his aunt and uncle," George chuckled, stepping back.

His eyes stared into mine and I could feel my heart picking up speed as I took in their familiarity. He leaned down and met my lips with his, kissing me gently. A second later I felt one of his hands holding the back of my head, causing me to step closer to him until I could sense his body just a few inches away from mine. My hands reached up until my fingertips were just touching his face. I never knew I could miss something as much as this.

The moment was short lived when I heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching. Breaking away, I spotted a pitch-black horse cantering in our direction. Sitting atop the horse was my dad. I waved when I saw him, feeling the nervous energy emanating off of George the closer he got. My dad slowed the horse a few feet from us before coming to a complete stop.

"Hi dad," I greeted, affectionately stroking the head of the horse he was riding. "How's Roman's training coming?"

"About as well as can be expected. Should be ready for the trails in a couple of weeks but he'll probably be a better match for more experienced riders, I'm afraid. I already anticipated that when I agreed to buy a five-year old horse that had never been properly trained," he responded while running a hand through his sandy blonde hair before glancing at George.

"Dad, this is George. He's the one I told you about," I said while looking at George, smiling warmly at him.

"So you're the one who's taken such a fond liking to our daughter," he said in George's direction, his tone light and airy. "It's good to finally meet you." My dad dismounted the horse and walked up to George and held out his hand. "Peter Shaw."

"It's nice to meet you, too," George stammered, taking my dad's hand and shaking it.

"Maryse has been talking about you nonstop since coming home from school. Thought it would be nice to meet the man who my daughter is enamored over," he said politely. "Honey, why don't you go and help your mum get ready for dinner. George and I will head to the stables and untack Roman."

"Sure thing," I consented, giving Roman one last pat before walking away. As I was passing George, I could still sense that he was a nervous wreck, so I placed my hand on his forearm and leaned in, whispering words of encouragment. "You'll be fine. No need to be nervous." I squeezed gently and released my hand, walking back up to the house.

 **…**

George

"It's very important to hose down a horse after you finish riding. It helps to cool them off," instructed Peter as he began to spray the legs of the muscular horse. "Always start with the legs and work your way up. Cooling the legs first cools the blood in the blood vessels just under the surface. After a few minute of this, move to their upper body. Also, make sure your horse's breathing and pulse are back to normal before you do this so the poor creature doesn't become sick or sore. A gentle walk for about five or ten minutes after a ride does the trick."

This had been the gist of their conversation since they had been alone; Maryse's dad explaining how to untack and care for a horse after riding. There hadn't been any uncomfortable talk, and yet George's nerves were still as strong as ever. As much as her dad seemed to be trying to make him comfortable, it didn't seem to calm him down at all.

"Once we're done with that, we just cup our hands like this," Peter said, showing George his hands. "Then we scrape the excess water off, like this. You do that side, I'll do this side."

George watched Peter for a couple of seconds before he went around to the other side of the horse. Hands shaking, he lifted his arms up and began scraping the water off of the horse. The droplets fell down and splattered the legs of his jeans as he worked. This went on for a few minutes before Peter backed away from the horse.

"Now, we're ready to let this guy out to pasture. He'll finish the cool down process on his own from here," he told George while taking the leading rope and walking the horse outside of the stables and to a fenced area in the back. Peter opened the gate, unclipped the rope, and ushered the horse in. Once the horse took off into the pasture, Peter closed the gate and secured the latch.

"My wife and I always had a love for these animals. The way they move, the feel of their muscles contracting beneath you when you're on them. In fact, we met while riding," he said as he watched the horse playfully frolicking with the other horses out in the pasture.

"Was it a riding stable like this one?" George asked tentatively. He realized this was the first thing he had said since being alone with Maryse's dad.

"You could say that," chuckled Peter lightly. "It was more of a mutual friend who had invited a few people over to go riding on their land. Spur of the moment get together from what he claims, but I have my suspicions." Here, Peter went silent for a minute as he sat in what George suspected was a treasured memory. "Anyways, Gina and I met and there was an immediate connection. We had a couple of dates and after that, I knew I wanted no one else in this entire world. A year later, we were married."

"A year?" George asked incredulously.

"Yes, sir. We've been head over heels in love for the last 18 years. Never once have I ever regretted that decision," Peter confirmed. "A year after we got married, we bought this place. It was nothing but a run down old house with a makeshift lean-to stable back then. Took all of our money, but it was what we wanted. Spent the first year working 7 days a week to make it livable. Just as we finished doing that, Maryse came along. Things only got harder, but we never lost sight of what we wanted and all of this, is the payoff for never giving up."

"That's extremely impressive," George admitted, looking around him. "I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it was creating what you have here."

"Probably not," Peter laughed while shaking his head. "But it was all worth it in the end."

George and Peter sat in silence for a little while staring out at the rolling pasture, a thicket of trees outlining the horizon.

"You know, Gina and I knew from a very early age that Maryse was special," Peter began after a few minutes, turning his attention to George.

George felt his heartbeat quicken. This was the part of the conversation George had been dreading since being left alone with Peter.

"H-how so?" George managed to ask despite his suddenly dry throat.

"I'm sure Maryse has told you by now about her gift," Peter said as he turned around so his back was facing the fence. "There was something about that gift that made many people uneasy to look at her or even be around her once they knew. Her mother and I decided it would be best to tell her the version she told you, but the real reason why is because many people came up to us and pleaded with us to limit her visits into town."

"Because she was able to persuade them into doing things?" George asked curiously.

"It went further than just persuasion. Something she could do with her eyes completely changed a person when she truly wanted to. To this day we still don't know how she does it or why, but it became scary to witness. The person would be the same, but different."

"I'm not sure I follow what you're saying," George admitted, becoming intrigued by what he was hearing.

"I mean that whenever they would tell her one thing, she would look at them and repeat her request, and they would just go along with it with no hesitation. When asked why they did what they did, they couldn't even remember ever having a different answer. That isn't even the unusual part."

"What was the unusual part?"

"You knew it was happening because you could see it. Something would happen with their eyes. Their pupils would dilate, their irises would dull in color, and just like that they would go back to normal like nothing ever happened only seconds later. Then they would do whatever it was she had told them to do."

George didn't know what to say. He had seen her calm Cedric's dad at the final event of the tournament just a couple of months earlier, but he never saw his eyes to confirm what Peter was telling him now.

"That's the reason why I wanted to talk to you alone. We don't want Maryse to know for obvious reasons. It might upset her and make her think something is wrong with her. I wanted to see if there was maybe a lapse in your memory on how you two…"

"Started dating, you," George finished for him solemnly.

"I hate to say it, but yeah," Peter admitted ashamedly.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I was the one who approached her," George assured the man. As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw Peter's shoulders relax and heard a sigh of relief leave his mouth.

"That's good to hear. That relieves a lot of worry I've had since Maryse started mentioning you to us. You won't say anything to her about this, will you? I know it's asking a lot from you…"

"No worries. I won't say anything," George promised him.

Peter grinned and patted George on the back. "Thank you, George. I appreciate that," Peter said while leading him away from the fence and towards the house.

 **...**

 **AUTHOR'S** **NOTE** \- _I know it's been a while since I updated, but I had some things going on that took precedence. I have not given up and I hope this chapter was a little enlightening! Please review!_


	7. (7) Pins and Needles

**...**

Chapter Seven

 _Pins and Needles_

"I would love some, but I'm afraid I don't have any more room," George said amusedly while leaning back in the kitchen chair, a hand draped across his stomach.

"Oh come on, George! My mum has been cooking all afternoon just for you! It would hurt her feelings if you didn't try everything!" I teased, pushing his leg playfully.

He looked at me and rolled his eyes with a smirk. I could see that the thought was going through his mind. Although, I couldn't blame him for not wanting to eat any more. My mum had prepared an enormous dinner just for him. Even I had to admit that it was a bit much! She had spent all day preparing and cooking a gourmet meal of herb roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes with brown gravy, and an assortment of vegetables including green beans, steamed carrots, and sautéed asparagus. For desert she had baked an apple cinnamon pie from scratch.

"Are you sure you're the real George? The George I know would have cleared almost the whole table himself!" I joked as my mum set a plate containing a piece of pie down in front of me.

"Oh I would not have!" he defended himself, a loud guffaw escaping his throat. "It only seems like I eat a lot because usually Fred is with me when there's food available. Otherwise, no, I do not believe I could eat the majority of all of this food. Maybe half."

His joke elicited a laugh from myself and my parents. It seemed like they were getting along well with each other and an overwhelming sensation of pure bliss filled up my core knowing that they had taken such an immediate liking to George.

"I know I'm going to regret it later, but I will gladly accept a piece of pie. I wouldn't want to come off as rude if I rejected the work you put into preparing this meal for me," George acquiesced politely. My mum smiled wide and set a piece of pie on a desert plate in front of him. He picked up his fork and immediately began digging in.

"Maryse tells us that one of the preferred methods of travel for witches and wizards is by fireplace," my mum said as she sat down and began to partake in her own desert in front of her.

"I don't know if I was say preferred, but it is definitely one of our most popular means of traveling within the wizarding world," George confirmed around a mouthful of apples and crust. "Our preferred method would be Apparition, but it's such a complex thing to do that they won't teach anyone how to do it until they are at least 17 years of age."

"Is that how you arrived today?" asked my dad.

"It was," George answered, looking over at him. "I just passed my test at the end of the school year so my brother and I have been apparating quite frequently lately."

"Fascinating," my dad said, leaning back in his chair. "Would you mind telling me more about this fireplace travel? I've been curious about it since I first heard mention but I never really understood how it works. If you don't mind."

"Not at all!" George beamed excitedly. He shoveled the last piece of his pie in his mouth before beginning again. "We call it floo travel. What you do is take a small handful of this special powder and you step into the fireplace. You say the name of where you want to go, and toss the powder onto the floor. As long as you said the name right, you should reach your destination within a matter of seconds."

"That's astounding! And you can travel anywhere you want to?" my mum asked curiously, leaning forward in her chair and folding her arms on the table in front of her.

"Almost anywhere," George replied, turning his attention to her. "A fireplace has to be connected to the Floo Network in order for you to be able to travel there so as long as one is connected, you should have no issues."

"Would we be able to have our fireplace connected to this 'Floo Network' as well?" asked my dad, drawing George's attention back to him.

"Unfortunately, no. One of our laws forbids us from being able to have a muggle fireplace connected to the network. Even though Maryse is a witch, the house itself belongs to you so the Ministry would deny the request," George said. I could see the disappointment flash momentarily in my dad's eyes.

"I hardly think that I can move after all of that!" George proclaimed when things had fallen silent. It was one thing I loved most about him; his ability to break silence before things became awkward.

"Well that's just too bad for you because you still have one thing left to do," I said, standing up and gathering plates to help my mum clear the table.

"Two questions. What is it I have to do, and do I have to?" he asked in a jokingly whiny tone.

"No, you don't have to but I hope you will anyways," I said lightly, a smile forming on my face. "I need help putting the horses in their stalls before it gets dark."

George looked at me with soft eyes and warm smile. He agreed to help as long as he could sit down to let his stomach settle before it exploded while I helped my mum finish clearing the table.

 **…**

George

"Your parents seem to like me," George said as the two of them walked side by side to the white fence enclosing the area of the horse pasture.

"I figured they would. What isn't to like? You're funny, polite when you want to be," Maryse said back with a smile.

"Don't forget devilishly handsome," George commented with a cheeky grin.

"Of course," she responded, nudging him as they walked.

They approached the fence and Maryse climbed up on the wooden rails before sitting down on the top board. George stood next to her on the ground, staring out at the sun as it set behind a row of trees in the distance.

"Do you see that horse out there? The brown one with the white on its legs?" Maryse asked George as she pointed out into the distance. George looked at where she was pointing to and saw the horse she was talking about. "That's Artex. My father bought him for me when I was seven years old. He was an untrained yearling when he was brought here. My father had given me strict instructions not to ride him until he had a chance to train him, but being young and overly excited I decided not to listen. I woke up early one morning and went out before my parents woke up. The moment I had placed myself in the saddle, he threw me. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and blood was running down my face. It wasn't until I had gotten up that I saw the rock that caused the damage."

"Sounds painful," George said sympathetically, looking over at Maryse. He immediately noticed how her eyes were soaking up the rays of the sun.

"At the time, it wasn't. Most likely due to shock. It was also that incident that my parents became aware that there was something different about me. When I was at the hospital waiting to be stitched up, my mum began to notice the wound healing on its own. By the time we were called back, the bleeding had already stopped and a scar was beginning to form. Within a few days, everything was completely healed. Nobody could figure out why and for years after, I became the subject of special tests to try and determine how a gaping wound had managed to heal itself within a matter of days instead of weeks."

George had to bite his tongue as he recalled the conversation that he had had with Maryse's father hours earlier. Her father had been telling the truth; she really didn't know the truth about when she was little. "What kind of tests did they do?"

"Standard muggle tests. Blood draws, CT scans, immunology studies. I was a human pin cushion until my eleventh birthday when I received my letter," she answered, looking down at George. He looked back at her and saw a somberness in her expression. He could only imagine what it must have been like to be a scared child spending years undergoing multitudes of tests and studies as people tried to determine the reason behind something that nobody could make sense of, only to find out in the end that it had nothing to do with her immune system at all, but a supernatural force that she never knew existed.

"That must have been tough," George said after a while as he tried to find the right words. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

"I wish I could say you get used to it, but that would be a lie. I don't think anyone could ever get used to being a medical anomaly," Maryse responded. After a few seconds, she jumped down from the fence inside the pasture and began walking away. "Come on, then. The horses aren't going to round up themselves!"

 **…**

"There we are. That's the last one," I said as I led a grey mare into her stall before George closed the door and latched it. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

"Not in the slightest," George said back with a smile, walking up to me with his hands in his pockets. "What's next?"

"We're done. Just have to close up the stable and we can go back to the house," I responded as I watched him lean back against a wall. He folded his arms across his chest and I casually walked up to him. "Was there something you had in mind?"

"No, not in particular," he smirked, eyeing me humorously. "I've just been enjoying my time with you and I'm looking for an excuse to keep it from ending so soon."

"I see," I said, walking closer until I was right in front of him. "Well, we are alone in this stable and I see a devilishly handsome guy right in front of me."

I watched as the humor left his eyes to be replaced by desire. His arms fell away from my chest and before I knew it, I was being pulled against him, our mouths pressed together fiercely. I felt his teeth graze my bottom lip hungrily, so I opened my mouth and met his tongue with mine. I placed my hands on his face as his hands gripped my waist tightly, pulling my hips closer to him. He pulled away from the kiss and brought his mouth to my neck, biting me gently. The air in my lungs released in a gush as I closed my eyes, feeling my body begging for more.

I could feel George's body responding against mine, his member getting harder with every passing second. I felt his right hand leave my waist as his fingers found the hem of my shirt before reaching his hand underneath the fabric. His hand migrated up until it came to rest against my breast, squeezing it lightly through my bra. I moaned softly in his ear and lifted one of my legs up until it was wrapped around his waist. His mouth found mine again and immediately silenced me with a fierce kiss. Just as I was about to take my shirt off, he stopped what he was doing and let out a sigh.

"We really shouldn't," I heard him say softly after he pulled away from the kiss.

"What do you mean? Aren't you enjoying this?" I asked confusedly, wondering if I had done anything wrong.

"Yes, absolutely I'm enjoying this. This is all I've been thinking about since school ended," he answered, closing his eyes and taking in a few deep breaths. "You have no idea how badly I want this to happen."

"Then what's wrong?" I asked softly, placing one of my hands against his cheek comfortingly. I felt him lean into it before he opened his eyes and looked at me, the longing look still in his eyes.

"I can't shake the feeling that your mum or dad will walk in on us," he admitted shyly, looking away as a blush creeped up on his face. "I've made a great first impression with your parents and I really don't want to ruin that or us by doing this. I think that we should maybe wait for a while to see where we go. I really like you, Maryse, and I don't want to fuck things up with you."

He looked back at me to see a smile on my face. "I can understand that. If you want to wait, then we will wait."

George smiled back at me and pulled me against him, wrapping me up in a tight hug. He laid his head on mine and held me there for a few moments before we decided we had been absent long enough. On the way back to the house, he took my hand in his, setting the pace to slow so we could enjoy our last few moments together alone as long as possible.

"You know, you're really cute when you blush," I said to him once we reached the house. Before he could make a comeback, I raced to the door and burst inside, laughing the whole way.

 **...**

 **AUTHOR'S** **NOTE** \- _I have gotten really terrible at updating! With things happening in my personal life, I'm trying to juggle a lot at once but I figured I should pop out an update! I started it weeks ago but have been neglecting it. Hopefully I will be able to continue with updates a bit more frequently now that things are starting to settle down but we will see! To those that have left feedback, thank you! It means a lot to me! To those following, thank you for your interest and I hope I can continue making this story interesting for you! Thank you all for your patience! You guys are AWESOME!_


	8. (8) Memory Lane

**...**

Chapter Eight

 _Memory Lane_

George and I were sitting around the family table the next morning for breakfast. My mum had made stacks of Belgium waffles with an assortment of toppings; strawberries, blueberries, peanut butter, raspberry jam, whipped cream, and maple syrup. Unsure of what George would actually like, she took all the steps and went all out to make his visit with us enjoyable.

All of us were laughing and talking about the movie we had watched the previous night before we had turned into bed.

"So you mean to tell me that your family has never owned a television before? Ever?" my dad asked incredulously after George had explained to him that that had been the first time he'd ever seen a movie.

"I kid you not," George responded around a mouth full of waffles. "My dad has heard of, and probably studied, television sets and movies at work, but my mum refuses to let any of it in the house. Growing up in an all magic family like mine, you get used to living without things that muggles would normally have."

"That's absolutely fascinating. I never would have guessed how dissimilar our two worlds truly are," my dad said with wonder.

"It also helps to have plenty of siblings growing up with you to occupy your time," George added before taking another bite of waffle.

Just as I was about to take a bite of my own food, the sound of tapping on the window in the room alerted us to a visitor. On the other side of the window was a Great Horned Owl, a letter in its beak. I quickly got up and opened the window to let the bird in. He wasted no time flying inside, the sound of flapping wings taking over the now quiet dining room.

"What have we got here?" I asked casually as I strolled towards the owl that had landed in the center of the table. I couldn't help but notice the awkward looks my parents were giving, still not used to the idea of owl mail that had become second nature to witches and wizards. Taking hold of the letter, the owl opened his beak before departing the way he had come. Examining the letter, I saw the all-too familiar Hogwarts logo on the front. "These must be my OWL results!"

"Let's see them!" my mum exclaimed excitedly. Her and my father had been waiting as impatiently as I had been since I took them the previous year. These would determine the courses I would be eligible to take this upcoming year.

I quickly broke open the wax seal on the back and unfolded the piece of parchment, studying the neat scrawling of ink.

"Charms, Exceeds Expectations. Transfiguration, Exceeds expectations. Care of Magical Creatures, Outstanding. Defense Against the Dark Arts, Outstanding," I began slowly as I read down the list. I had scored the majority of my OWLs as Exceeds Expectations, and I had a few Acceptable or Outstanding grades. "Potions, Exceeds Expectations." After reading the last one, I immediately felt my mood shift.

"That's great to hear! Those sound like excellent marks!" my father exclaimed happily.

"All except for Potions," I said glumly, dropping the letter on the table and plopping into my chair.

"What's wrong with what you received in Potions, dear?" my mum asked as she took the letter and read through it herself.

"It isn't a high enough mark," I said softly, moving the remainder of my waffle around with my fork.

"What do you mean it isn't a high enough mark?" my father asked inquisitively.

I didn't say anything at first. The silence started to feel like an anchor weighing down on everyone until George spoke up. "To get into a Potions NEWT class, you need to achieve a mark of no less than Outstanding per the Potions teacher."

"Is that all? Is this class that important to you?" my father asked, looking at me.

"It is if I wish to pursue the career of my choosing," I answered sullenly.

"Career? What career? I thought you would want to take over the stables once your father and I could no longer manage it?" my mum asked.

"Not exactly…" I stammered, looking at the wall to the left of me. I had never divulged to my parents before that I had decided I didn't want to take over the stables. It had been expected of me as long as I can remember and my parents showed great pride in knowing their legacy would continue on long after they were gone. Once I had started attending school at Hogwarts, my career choices had taken a drastic turn once I fell in love with Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Sweetie?" my father asked promptingly while setting down his fork and sitting up straighter in his chair. "Is there something you would like to discuss with us?"

I glanced over at George when I was unable to find the strength I needed to break the news to my parents. He looked back at me with those soft, familiar eyes that seemed to tell me that everything would be okay and that they would understand. He nodded his head once, encouraging me to continue. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Mum, dad," I started shakily as my mind raced to form words in a way that would help them to understand. "You know I really love the stables and the horses and riding, but I don't think it's what I was meant to do for the rest of my life. Ever since I started school at Hogwarts after finding out what I am, I took a strong liking to wanting to be a teacher. More specifically, a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

My mum and dad didn't say anything once I had finished. I had expected as much, but their continued silence began to fill me with an icy uneasiness that I couldn't shake. I knew where their expectations of me had lain for the past 16 years and it was beginning to feel like I had crushed every single hope and dream they had held onto my whole life.

"I'm sorry that this isn't what you wanted to hear. I know how much the stables mean to you and how much you wanted to keep them in the family. Please don't be disappointed in me," I said after ages of silence.

"Disappointed? Why would we ever be disappointed in you?" my father asked, sounding shocked at my assumption.

I looked over at him to see a bemused look in his eye. He was smiling and it suddenly felt like the mood in the room was getting lighter.

"We could never be disappointed in you. It is a little upsetting that you don't want to take over, but we understand that if you don't want to, then you don't want to. It's great that you have your own goals and aspirations and we'll support you no matter what you choose to do. You're our daughter and we won't love you any less for your own decisions," my mum added while taking a hold of my hand. I looked over at her and saw that she was smiling as brightly as my dad was.

 **…**

George

"That didn't go as badly as I had thought it would," Maryse said as she walked beside George along the pasture fencing after breakfast.

"You never told them you wanted to be a teacher before now," George stated rather than asked.

"I was always worried about what their reaction would have been. You've been the only one I've ever been comfortable enough telling about my dream," Maryse confessed as they continued walking at a leisurely pace. "I haven't even told my friends or classmates. Everyone would look at me like I was crazy for wanting to pursue a teaching job as the Defense teacher."

"Because the position is cursed."

"I don't believe that for a second! I just don't think they've found the person quite cut out to handle the position yet."

"How would you know if they weren't cut out to handle the position?"

"You don't think I can do it?" Maryse asked, giving George a foul look as she stopped walking. George stopped as well and turned to face her.

"I'm not saying that. I was just trying to say that maybe the curse behind the position isn't completely fabricated. Dumbledore hasn't been able to keep the position filled for longer than a year. You know that just as well as everyone else."

"I guess I'm going to have to be the one to change that, then," Maryse said indignantly, folding her arms over her chest in defiance.

George stepped towards her and placed his hand on her face, lightly stroking the scar on her face with his thumb. He stared into her eyes, taking in their blue depths. "If anyone can change it, it'll be you," he said gently to her, watching her expression soften. A small smile formed on her face and she fell into him, wrapping her arms around his waist while his arms wound around her shoulders.

"I want to show you something," George said after a short while, letting Maryse go. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand and a miniature broom.

"Do you always keep knick-knacks in your pocket wherever you go?" Maryse asked, stifling a laugh.

"Ha ha, very funny," George said back, rolling his eyes and smiling before pointing his wand at the object he held in the palm of his hand. " _Engorgio_."

The miniature broom in his hand began to grow almost immediately after the spell had left his lips. Within a matter of seconds, what Maryse had at first thought was a novelty item, was now a full-size broom in George's hand. The look he gave was one of admiration and delight.

"It's a Cleansweep 11! They just came out this month and both Fred and I decided to buy ourselves each one with the money Harry gave us from winning the tournament. We decided to upgrade so we make a lasting impression on the scouts that'll be coming out to see us play this upcoming year," George explained excitedly.

"Scouts? You mean Quidditch scouts?" Maryse asked.

"Dumbledore helped us by contacting a few teams and put a good word in for us! By this time next year, Fred and I could very well find ourselves playing professionally!" George answered, the huge smile never leaving his face as he went from admiring the broom to looking at Maryse. "What do you think?"

"I think it's great!" exclaimed Maryse with a smile, walking forward and hugging George tightly. "You're going to do great! I'm so happy for you! It looks like we both may very well get what we want."

"That's the plan anyway. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm excited for school to start," George said, furrowing his brows as he contemplated what he had just said.

"You've never once been excited for school?" Maryse asked, stepping away from him with a look of astonishment plastered on her face.

George shook his head. "Never."

"What makes this upcoming year different?"

"A couple of things. I get the opportunity to be signed to a professional Quidditch team, it's my last year of school, and I get to do it all with the most amazing girl I've ever met by my side. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I'd ever have considered doing what I'm about to do."

"I'm sure you didn't need my help at all," Maryse said matter-of-factly, trying to hide her face as her cheeks flushed red. George noticed this and couldn't help but smile.

"You don't think so? I was on a fast track to doing nothing great with my life. You already know my grades aren't the greatest because I've put so much time and effort into goofing off and nourishing a dream that may or may not make it. I know that I'm good at Quidditch and I know that I stand a chance at being signed by at least one team. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I'd have been able to talk my brother into pursuing a different career path. You've helped me a lot more than you could possibly even imagine," George said back softly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. She looked up at him and returned his smile.

"That's because everyone has the potential to be something great. Sometimes you just need someone else to help you realize it," she told him.

George leaned down and met her lips with a kiss, cupping her face in his hands. He felt her hands enclose around his, returning his kiss.

"Now I want to show you something," she said after pulling away. She took his hand and let him away from the open area into a grove of trees running along the side of the pasture.

 **…**

I walked with George through the sparse trees along a well-worn path my family and I used when taking groups of people out on horseback. His fit with mine perfectly, like it was meant to be there, and I hoped that it always would be. We kept our conversation light and airy, talking about his family and how he had grown up. Every once in a while he would share stories with me about times him and Fred had gotten into trouble. He told me about their matching scars, the time they turned Ron's teddy bear into a spider, and many other times they had horrendously pranked their siblings or their parents.

It amazed me how vastly different our personalities were, but I loved how adventurous and impulsive he could be, even if it meant he was in trouble more than he was well-behaved. He was everything I wasn't and I was starting to see why everyone used the phrase 'opposites attract'.

"Here it is," I said as we approached a Black Alder tree. The tree sat on the very edge of the wooded trail, overlooking a vast field of brightly colored wildflowers. You could see the slopes of a grassy hill rising up on the horizon. I led us directly to the tree and stood underneath its branches, feeling a gentle breeze running through my hair. "I like to come out to this spot and think when I start feeling overwhelmed. This became my sanctuary when I was little after my accident."

George didn't say anything and I didn't expect him to. As far as I was able to ascertain, no other Muggleborn witch or wizard had been put through the ordeal I had. Usually when their families started to realize what they were, it was because of small occurrences such as objects magically floating through the air, items that had been placed on high shelves would somehow end up on the floor, or something else along those lines.

"Why this spot?" George asked me curiously as he slowly scanned the landscape before us.

"Because my parents could never find me when I would climb up into the branches. They could search all around the trails for hours and hours and they never once could find me. I just continued to come back every time knowing that I would be able to be alone with my thoughts," I answered honestly.

"You can climb trees?" George asked, sounding shocked at the very idea that I would ever do anything remotely as dangerous as climbing a tree.

"Don't sound so flummoxed," I said, shoving him with my shoulder. "One kind of gets used to climbing up things taller than they are after they've been mounting horses all their life."

"I'm only joking. You'd have to have a pretty dull childhood if you never climbed a tree," he responded casually, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to him.

"What about you? Do you have a spot where you go and think?" I asked curiously while looking up at him.

"Sort of. It isn't anything like this, but it's a place I found I can go to on occasion," he replied.

"What do you think about?"

"Less now than before. I've more been thinking about my future and what's possibly in store for Fred and me."

"What did you used to think about?"

"Do you want me to answer truthfully?" he asked, looking down at me. I couldn't read his expression but I wanted to know so I nodded once and waited for him to continue. "Truthfully, I would go there and think about this girl from school. You may know her. Raven-black hair, bright blue eyes, very shy demeanor, gorgeous as all hell. I would think about all the times I would catch her looking at me in the Great Hall, in the corridors between classes. I asked myself why she was never confident enough to come and talk to me and I wondered if she ever would. She captivated me in a way no one else ever had and no matter what I did, I could never get her to leave my mind. The way she carried herself, the way I would see her laughing with her friends, the way that she could grab my attention whenever she would walk by."

"You noticed," I said, feeling abashed.

"Of course I noticed. How could I not? Ever since I saw you sit down on that stool, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I hoped and prayed you would be sorted into Gryffindor and it nearly broke my heart when I heard the hat call out Ravenclaw because I knew that our paths would hardly ever cross after that." George turned until he was facing me. He took both of my hands and brought them up to his lips, kissing the backs of each one of them. "You are so focused on what makes you different that you can't even see how truly amazing and unforgettable you really are."

"I guess it's just hard when I've spent half my life hiding away from the repulsive looks and the whispered remarks," I admitted hesitantly, looking down. I felt his hand reach under my chin and lift my head up to look at him once more.

"You will never get those things from me," George said assuredly.

"That's something I'm going to have to get used to," I laughed softly, wiping a tear away from my eye.

"Why don't we go and visit my family for a while? I'm sure my mum would absolutely love to meet you," George suggested, pulling out his wand. "You might feel a little sick."

"Why?" I asked right before we both disapparated.

 **...**

 **AUTHOR'S** **NOTE** \- _Was hoping to have an update out last week, but life has been as busy as usual. It actually took me several days to type this out because I was conflicted with how I wanted this chapter to go. But, after a lot of consideration, I finally settled on this. Now to figure out how I want the next chapter to go. Thank you so much for the reviews from the previous chapter! I hope to see more as the story unfolds more!_


	9. (9) A Lost Bet and A Hasty Goodbye

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** \- _In case some of you are confused, I have updated my name from JerveGirl to IamMrsGeorgeWeasley for reasons relating to my personal life. And partly because George is my favorite character!_

 **...**

Chapter Nine  
 _A Lost Bet and A Hasty Goodbye_

George

George and Maryse reappeared as instantly as they had disapparated from underneath the Black Alder tree only seconds before. Having done side-along apparition in the past and knowing what the first time felt like, he kept his hold on Maryse for a moment to ensure she didn't fall down. While he knew he could prevent her from falling, he was hoping she could prevent herself from vomiting.

"You alright?" he asked her after a while.

"My entire body feels like it had just been vacuum-sealed," Maryse responded through several deep breaths.

"At least you haven't vomited," George offered encouragingly.

"That may yet still happen," she said although George couldn't tell if she was joking or being serious. After a few more minutes and no indication that she would, indeed, be sick, her breathing returned to normal and she was able to stand up straight. She looked George dead in the eye and said, "Next time, give me a little more warning."

"Sorry. I keep forgetting that what I got adjusted to growing up, you're still learning as you go," he apologized wholeheartedly, glancing at the ground uneasily.

"So this is where you live?" George looked up and saw Maryse staring at the crudely-put together structure that he had called home for the last 17 years.

"I know it isn't much compared to where you live-."

"It looks homely," Maryse said, cutting George off. She turned to look at him with a smile. "Your family has done a wonderful job giving this house character. Is your mum inside? You said she would absolutely love to meet me."

While Maryse began to walk towards the house, George stood rooted to where he was, flabbergasted by her response. It was definitely not what he was expecting her to say and not what he expected her reaction to be. Many other families made his family the laughing stock of the wizarding community because of their finances, or lack thereof. He couldn't help but be confounded.

Maybe, just like Maryse, he had his own insecurities he needed to work on.

"Are you coming or am I going inside without you?" she called to him when she noticed he wasn't walking with her.

Seeing that she was almost to the front door, George quickly raced to catch up to her. Once he did, however, he grabbed her arm and brought her to a stop, turning her to face him.

"I do have to warn you. My family can be a little...," George began, searching his mind for the right word to use. "Curious. Especially my dad. He'll want to know everything about you and your life growing up as a Muggle. And my mum-."

Maryse silenced him with a kiss, cutting him off midsentence. When she pulled away, George looked into her eyes, left speechless once more.

"I'm sure your family is wonderful. You don't need to worry about them scaring me off," she told him assuredly before caressing his cheek with her free hand. "I truly can't wait to meet them."

Nodding, George led her the rest of the way to the house. He opened the door and walked in, Maryse closely behind him. After having been inside of her home where everything was nearly brand new, it left him feeling chagrined at his own family's rustic-like dwelling. George closed the door behind them and called out, "Mum, I'm home."

Almost instantly he heard a clatter from the kitchen and rustling feet as someone made their way towards the front door. Soon, a lady with hair as red as his own appeared from around the corner.

"Oh, you made it back safely and all in one piece! I was worried you may have splinched yourself," she exclaimed upon seeing her son. Her eyes roamed past him until she was looking at Maryse standing behind him. "Who is this?"

"Mum, I'd like you to meet Maryse. She's the one Fred's been telling everyone about," George answered, feeling his face breaking out in a blush. "Maryse, this is my mum, Molly Weasley."

"So this is her?" Molly asked exuberantly, scurrying past George until she was standing directly in front of Maryse. She immediately cupped Maryse's cheeks and gave her a warm, welcoming smile. "She's absolutely stunning! Very beautiful. Arthur! George is home and he's brought company!" Molly grasped Maryse by the hand and led her into the house.

Maryse looked back at George and gave him a look that insinuated he was in trouble when she got back. He only laughed and shook his head before calling out, "I warned you!"

 **…**

After only five minutes alone with Arthur Weasley, I began to wonder if George had felt as overwhelmed when my own father had been asking him questions about his upbringing. He asked me everything from what I normally ate at home, to the time my old school started their days, to what games I played as a child. Every answer I gave seemed to intrigue him even more and would ensue another round of questions down to the fine details. Molly, on the other hand, kept asking us from time to time to see if we would like something to eat. It made me feel bad every time I would see her look of dismay when I would decline until I eventually caved and agreed to every little morsel Molly offered.

George came to my rescue a couple of hours after I had been whisked away for my own line of questioning. I had to take a silent breath of relief once I was away from their line of view. They were friendly and I enjoyed meeting them, but one could only take so much before they needed a break.

"I'm sorry about that," George apologized to me sincerely as we made our way to the living room slowly.

"I should be apologizing to you. I know how you felt when my own dad was questioning you," I laughed lightly as we sat down on the couch.

"No need for it. I'm sure your dad was far easier to handle than my own dad was," George said, winking at me with a sly grin on his face.

"Anyone's dad is easier to handle than our own," Fred chimed in from the doorway as he, too, entered the living room. He walked over and plopped down on the couch next to me, sandwiching me between the two of them. "I do have to give you props, though. Anyone who can make it away from our dad before freaking out deserves respect."

"He's done this before?" I asked Fred, shoving him away as his arm wound around my shoulders playfully.

"All the time! You should ask Harry sometime what he went through when he first met our folks," George answered, replacing Fred's arm with his own.

"I can only imagine what his line of questioning was like…"I said, trailing off as I noticed Ron in a far corner of the room in front of a chess set. Seated across from him was a very bored looking Ginny. "Are they playing Wizard's Chess?"

"That's all he plays. There's a reason why he's the best player at school," George whispered in response.

"I swear he's the _only_ one at school that even plays anymore," Fred whispered after George.

I pondered to myself a moment before saying, "I think I could beat him."

Both the twins looked at each other and laughed in unison at my remark.

"You don't think I could?" I asked, looking back and forth between them.

"Not a chance," Fred answered casually, crossing his leg and leaning back into the couch, looking completely relaxed.

"No one has beat him in years. In fact, nobody ever wants to play with him anymore because he never loses. The only reason why Ginny is over there is because she lost a bet to us and has to play him whenever he asks for the rest of the summer," George said, beaming and looking proud of himself.

"A bet, you say?" I asked fiendishly, my mind buzzing as an idea formed in my head. "I have a proposition for the both of you. How would you feel about making a bet with me?"

"With you?" George asked, looking at Fred with inquisitiveness.

"If I win against Ron in a game of Wizard's Chess, you both have to cut your hair," I said smoothly, crossing my own legs and sinking back against the couch.

"And if you lose?" Fred asked ambivalently.

"If I lose, I'll cut my hair," I offered without blinking, looking back and forth at the two of them.

They looked at each other once more before saying together, "You're on."

"Excellent," I purred deviously, putting one hand on each of their legs and hoisting myself off the couch. I casually strolled over to where Ron and Ginny were and stood behind Ginny's chair. "Wizard's Chess. I've heard a lot about this game. Mind if I play?"

"Be my guest!" Ginny said hurriedly before evacuating her chair and walking briskly out of the room.

"Have you ever played before?" Ron asked me skeptically, arranging the chess pieces back in their starting positions.

"Not Wizard's Chess, but I've played muggle chess before and I was quite good at it," I answered simply, sitting down in the vacant chair across from him.

"I've got to warn you, I'm no beginner in this game," Ron warned.

"So I've heard. Neither am I," I responded. "Ready to play?"

 **…**

George

"Oh, it doesn't look that bad!" Maryse laughed as she and George sat on his trunk next to the open window in his room after George had finished receiving a haircut from his mum.

"I can't believe I agreed to that bet," George said, running his hands across his head as he mourned the loss of his hair. "If I'd have known you were that good, I'd never have said yes."

"Come off it, George," Maryse said, taking both of his hands in hers. "You look fine."

"Says the one who got to keep her hair," he mumbled to himself.

"Well, I like it," she said while leaning forward and placing her forehead against his. "You look absolutely handsome, with or without your long hair."

George planted a kiss on her lips, gripping her hands firmly in his. "I still can't believe you won. Out of every bet I've ever made, this should have been one that I won."

Exasperated, Maryse threw her hands up in the air and leaned back against the window frame. She stared out into the night, gazing at the stars in the sky. George looked at her and found he had to fight for breath. He was instantly brought back to the night of the Yule Ball at the top of the Astronomy tower. The way she looked then was how she looked now. The only difference was she was wearing a light blue tank top and blue jeans instead of her silver dress.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you look in the light of the night?" George asked.

Maryse half-turned her head to him, staring at him out of the corner of her eye. It looked as if she was waiting to see if he would say something that would entice her to forgive him for his moping about his hair.

"The way you become illuminated in the full moon," George started, scooting closer to her. "The way the stars make your eyes appear darker, but yet make them sparkle at the same time." He moved a little bit closer, gingerly reaching his hand out closer to hers. "I noticed it the first time in the Astronomy tower. You've always been beautiful, but there's something about the night that makes you stand out above everything else." George closed his hand around hers and pulled her towards him until their foreheads were touching again. "What have you done to me, Maryse?"

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously, staring into his eyes.

"You make me do things and feel things I've never done or felt before. No one else has ever had this much of a hold on me before and it terrifies me," he confessed, closing his eyes and sighing heavily. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest with each word that he spoke. "It terrifies me because I don't know if I'm ever going to do something that fucks everything up and you leave because of it.

"George-," Maryse started before George cut her off by placing a finger to her lips.

"Please, don't say anything or I don't think I'll ever have the courage to do it again. I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but I love you," he said, pulling his head back and looking at her face for her reaction.

"I love you, too," Maryse said back, smiling.

George smiled back as she leaned in, kissing him slowly. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her closer to him, replaying her words over and over in his mind.

"I'm giving you my heart," George said when they pulled away, her face still in his hands. "Please don't break it."

Maryse was about to say something response when they were interrupted by someone opening the bedroom door. Molly stood in the doorway, ashen-faced.

"George," she said, seeing the two of them sitting on the trunk together. "Oh, I'm sorry if I was interrupting something, but George needs to take you home now, dear. Something important has just come up and it requires us all to leave as soon as possible. It was so nice to meet you, Maryse, and I do hope to see you again." Molly gave a quick smile, but George noticed that it didn't reach her eyes like it usually did. As quickly as she had come, she was gone.

"I wonder what this is all about," George said, staring at the open door.

"I hope it wasn't because of me," Maryse said back.

"No, it wasn't you. I'm sure of it. She only looks that way when something big happens," he assured her quickly, looking at her apologetically. "It sounded like it was pretty serious, so I better get you home. Hang on."

George grabbed her around the waist and disapparated.

 **…**

George and I apparated right outside the front door of my parent's house. This time, however, I was more prepared and was able to recover more quickly than I had earlier that day.

"I guess this is where we part ways," I said sullenly, looking up at him.

"Unfortunately. I wish we didn't have to, but I don't think this is something my mum wants anyone else to know about, whatever it is. I'll see you on the train though, yeah?" George asked, stepping closer to me.

"Of course," I answered, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. His arms held me just as tightly, keeping me next to him for as long as possible. When he finally let go and stepped back, I didn't see a smile on his face.

"Write to me," he said before he disapparated once more, leaving me standing alone in the dark.

 **...**

 **AUTHOR'S** **NOTE#2** \- _I hope you all were able to put two and two together when it came to the ending. I also wanted to put my own twist on why the Fred and George had left GOF with long hair and came back with short hair in OOF. It only made sense since my story is based around George and my OC. Hopefully it was enjoyable! To all my followers, thank you! It's you guys who keep me writing! Please review!_


	10. (10) Chances

...

Chapter Ten  
 _Chances_

George

"Before you lot get on the train, I need to have a word with you," Molly Weasley announced to Harry, Hermione, and her children right before they all dispersed in separate directions to board the train. Once they were all gathered tightly in a circle in front of her, she bent forward and looked at each and every one of them in turn while lowering her voice to continue speaking. "What you all have just witnessed is not to be shared with _anyone._ I implore you to keep this to yourselves. This is your only warning."

"Got it, mum," Ron mumbled, shuffling from one foot to the other.

"No problem," Harry and Hermione said together.

"If we have to," acquiesced Fred sullenly.

"Ron. Ginny. Have a great year and mind Dumbledore," Molly said to her two youngest children before turning to Harry and Hermione. "It was good to see you two again. Fred. George." She turned to the twins and sighed, looking back and forth between the two of them. "This is your last year. Please behave yourselves. Be safe, and good luck with the Quidditch scouts. I know you'll make us proud."

Molly smiled at them warmly before enveloping them both in a tight hug. Before they could give their friends a chance to start snickering at them, they pulled away from an all-too persistent Molly. They waved to her as they quickly dashed away to find an empty car on the train.

"That was a bit embarrassing. Right in the middle of the station!" Fred bellowed under his breath as they walked down the crowded walkway, squeezing through any narrow openings they could see between other students.

"I'm not sure about you, but I think she was trying her hardest not to cry," George remarked as they neared the middle of the train.

Fred kept glancing inside of the train cars as they went until at last he had found them an empty one. They walked in and immediately plopped down on opposites sides of each other.

"This is it, George! Our last year and it's sure to be our greatest yet! We've got loads of new products to sell, a brand new group of consumers, and a very promising future awaiting us. Nothing could go wrong now," Fred exclaimed excitedly, rubbing his hands together in glee.

"Careful, Fred. You'll jinx us before the train even leaves the station," George said, smiling at his brother. Every nerve in his body was humming with exhilaration thinking about the possibilities that were laid out before them. Dumbledore had pulled them aside while they were at Grimmauld Place to let them know which teams he had managed to procure scouts from; the Wimbourne Wasps, Pride of Porttree, Tutshill Tornados, and Puddlemere United. George secretly hoped they would be picked up by Puddlemere in the hopes of playing with their old Gryffindor captain, Oliver Wood, again.

"I wonder who Dumbledore got to fill in as the Defense teacher this year," Fred pondered out loud.

"Guess we'll find out tonight at the feast," George replied as the door to their compartment opened up, revealing Maryse who was carrying a large cage that housed a Striped Owl.

"Looks like your girlfriend bought you two a pet," Fred joked when he saw who was entering their compartment.

"Very funny," George said as Maryse took a seat beside him, setting the cage down on the seat next to her. "I never knew you had your own owl."

"I didn't until last week when I was at Diagon Alley. My parents decided to reward me for my marks on my OWLs last year so they bought me this guy. Meet Eirian," Maryse introduced, turning her head to look at the owl tucked unhappily away in the cage. "It's a good thing really because your family's owl is looking awfully dreadful. He probably wouldn't make it another summer delivering letters back and forth like last summer."

"How that bloody bird is still alive is beyond me. Who knows. Maybe he'll outlive even me," Fred commented as he stood up and walked to the door. "I'm going to go and find Angelina. I'll see you at the feast."

Both Maryse and George looked after Fred as he disappeared down the corridor, leaving the two of them alone. She turned to him with a grin on her face.

"I've got something for you," she said excitedly, reaching for her shoulder bag that was tucked in between her and Eirian. She rummaged through the bag until she found what she had been searching for. Looking at it briefly, she handed it to George. He took it and saw that it was a picture of Maryse holding onto a lead rope connected to her horse, Artex's, bridle. She was smiling towards whoever was holding the camera with her wonted warmness and George felt his stomach flutter. "I know it isn't moving like the pictures you're used to, but I can fix that when I get to school if you'd like."

"There's no need to change it. It's perfect just the way that it is. Thank you," George said, leaning towards her and kissing her softly before tucking the picture into his back pocket and pulling away. "I missed you. Hopefully the rest of your summer wasn't too boring without me."

 **…**

Later that evening, Maryse and her friends, Jessica and Riley, made their way up the Ravenclaw tower staircase. All three of them were laughing and talking about their summers. Jessica and her family had gone on holiday to Switzerland to visit relatives while Riley and her family had spent most of the summer at home renovating their family home. Maryse divulged to them about her family meeting George, and what it was like to meet his family. She told them about the bet the twins had lost to her which was why they both had shown up to school this year with shorter hair.

Following a group of seventh year Ravenclaw students, they entered their common room and noticed that Professor Flitwick was seated at a table against the far wall. Several rolls of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink were laid out before him as he waited for the rest of the Ravenclaw house to enter the common room.

After a few minutes when no one else entered, he cleared his throat and began to speak. "If I could please have the attention of all sixth year students. I trust you have all received the results of your OWLs, and I trust that you have also utilized some time this summer to think about which classes you wish to take this year as part of your final NEWTs at the end of next year. If you would, please form a single line in front of the table so I can talk to each one of you individually about which subjects you have decided you'd like to take. You will all receive your class schedules tomorrow morning at breakfast."

Almost immediately, every sixth year Ravenclaw was lined up in front of the table before Flitwick with their lists of desired classes out and at the ready for him. I was third in line behind Darrin and Reed, two of the five Ravenclaw boys in our year. Darrin's voice was talking animatedly to Flitwick as he listed off the classes he was most interested in taking. While I waited my turn, I turned to Jessica and Riley who were in line behind me.

"I spent whatever part of my summer that I could going over my OWLs and trying to figure out what I want to do after graduation but I'm still not certain which classes I for sure want to take," Riley said to Jessica and me as she scanned over the piece of parchment that was in her hands.

"I know what you mean. Being on holiday for most of the summer didn't give me much free time at all to decide what I wanted to take. I may have to let a few others go before me while I figure it out. Maryse here will have it easy since she most likely will take up ownership of her family's stables," Jessica said back, nudging me with her elbow playfully. "Isn't that right, Mare?"

"Actually…" I said softly, keeping my voice just above a whisper to only they could hear me. "I've actually decided against taking over the stables. There's something I found that I want to do to do more than that." Before I could tell them more, Flitwick was summoning me to the table. I hadn't even noticed that Darrin and Reed were finished.

"Ah, Ms. Shaw. So good to see you again this year," Flitwick greeted amicably as he retrieved a copy of my OWL marks and prepared another piece of blank parchment from the pile next to him on the table. He dipped his quill in the bottle of ink before looking up at me with a friendly smile. "Have you come to a decision on which classes you'd like to take?"

"I have, mostly," I admitted sheepishly as I pulled out my own list of interested classes.

"Wonderful! Lets hear it!" Flitwick exclaimed, waiting for me to begin.

"Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care Of Magical Creatures, and…" Here I paused, knowing the answer I would receive once I muttered the last class. Flitwick paused his series of approving assertions, letting his quill hover centimeters above the parchment.

"Is that all you wish to take?" he asked inquisitively to see if I would continue.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, I continued. "I would also like to take Potions."

Flitwick didn't write down the class, but instead set his quill down and pulled a list of my OWLs towards him, his round eyes roving over the parchment as he searched for my Potions grade. Once he found it, he looked back up at me with concern in his eyes. "I'm afraid you didn't receive the required grade to allow you to take Potions. Was there something else you perhaps wanted to take instead? A backup?"

"Umm…well, no. I didn't really put much thought into it," I admitted, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"You, as well as everyone else here, know that Professor Snape doesn't allow anything below Outstanding," Flitwick continued, interlocking his hands in front of him. "Depending on your chosen career choice, we can find you something just as suitable. Have you decided on what you wanted to do after graduation?"

"I have, Professor," I answered him as I felt my stomach doing somersaults inside of me.

"Excellent! Lets hear it, then!"

"I decided…" I stopped here and took a quick look around at the other students behind me. The sixth years behind me were beginning to shift from foot to foot as they waited impatiently behind me as if all the spots will be filled up before they got there. Other years were scattered around the common room, taking no notice of what was happening at the table. Regaining my composure, I looked back at Flitwick, squared my shoulders, and stood up straighter. "I've decided I want to become the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts."

If I thought things were quiet before, everything was deafeningly silent now. Everyone in the common room stopped their conversations midsentence as soon as the words had left my mouth. Many were staring at me, mouths agape as if I had just insulted their families. The students standing behind me had all taken an evident step back from me as if I was cursed like it was rumored the teaching position I wanted was. I was left standing there, the center of attention, in a sobering silence as I waited for Flitwick to speak.

Finally, after a few unsettling moments, he finally spoke. "I admire your endeavor, but I'm at a loss on what I can tell you on the matter."

"Well, I was hoping that maybe you could talk to Snape for me and see if he would make an exception," I offered, determination flooding through my veins like a raging wildfire.

"Professor Snape takes no exceptions," Flitwick said flatly, beginning to roll up the parchment with my classes on them. "Unless you there's another class you want to take, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to move you along so I can finish with the rest of the sixth years."

Not ready to take no for an answer, I placed my hand on top of Flitwick's, making him pause and look up at me. Our eyes met and I felt a sudden rush of what I could only explain as determination fill me up and replace my earlier feeling of unease. "Please, Professor. This is the only other class I want to take. I need you to talk to Professor Snape for me and convince him to give me a chance."

Without knowing what was happening, I saw Professor Flitwick's eyes change. It was only briefly, but I noticed that his pupils began to dilate and his usually bright eyes seemed to grow dull and lifeless. Just as I was about to ask him if he was okay, they reverted to their normal state, but where there was hesitation before, there was now understanding and approbation. He nodded once and picked up his quill, quickly writing down Potions at the bottom of the parchment.

"I will finish with the students here before I go and talk with Professor Snape. With any luck, you'll have an answer by tomorrow morning. But don't be surprised if the answer is no. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to finish," Flitwick said as he gestured for the student behind me to come forward.

Feeling a flare of victory rush through me, I hurried away and headed towards the girl's dormitory, suppressing my overly satiated smile.

 **…**

The next morning was a bustle of excitement as the first years prepared for their first day of classes, and the seventh years began the first day of their last year of school. I silently shared in their excitement as I made my way to the Great Hall for breakfast, excited to find out if Professor Flitwick had managed to convince Professor Snape to accept me into NEWT-level potions despite not receiving an Outstanding on my OWLs. By the time I reached the Great Hall, the majority of the tables had been filled up with students and the staff table held no vacant seat. George glanced up from his seat at the Gryffindor table and waved to me while mouthing 'good morning'. I waved back and made my way to the Ravenclaw table and sat down beside Riley, who was already digging into the food on her plate.

"Have you heard anything back about Potions, Maryse?" she asked me as I sat down.

"Not yet but I expect I'll be finding out as soon as I get my class list. Have you seen if they started handing them out yet?" I asked back while I filled my plate with eggs and toast.

"Nothing yet. I'm sure the Heads of Houses will be coming by shortly with them, though," she answered as Jessica sat down on the opposite side of her.

"Have they handed out class lists yet?" Jessica repeated my question the moment she sat down.

"No. I just got here and asked that myself," I responded before taking a bite of toast.

We sat in silence amongst the loud chatter of students, enjoying our breakfast and keeping an eye out for Professor Flitwick. It was a few minutes before Riley saw him walking along the Ravenclaw table with a pile of papers in his hands as he was scanning the students for all the sixth years. He finally got to us and handed each of us our class list. Before I could ask him what Snape had said, he was already shuffling his way up to the staff table.

I promptly looked at my class list and thoroughly examined the piece of parchment in my hands. Feeling my heart sink, I noticed that Potions was not included in my class list. "I didn't get in," I said softly, mostly for myself but also to inform Jessica and Riley.

"I'm sorry, Mare. You tried," Riley comforted, rubbing my back reassuringly.

"Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Imagine what Snape's NEWT-level classes are like compared to the first five years," Jessica offered sympathetically.

I didn't respond to anything they had said. There was nothing I could think of to say that would convey my disappointment. I didn't know why I had even gotten my hopes up, but I felt I needed to try regardless of the incontestable answer.

When I finished what was on my plate, I left the table to go and find George so I could fill him in on what had happened between last night and this morning. I hadn't gotten very far before someone dressed all in black stepped in front of me. Looking up, I saw that it was Professor Snape with his usual, indecipherable facial expression.

"My classroom. Now," he commanded before turning on his heels and heading out of the Great Hall. It took me a moment to register what he had just said because as he neared the door, he called out behind him. "Now, Ms. Shaw!"

I regained attention and swiftly followed after him, having to run in order to catch up with him as he approached the stairwell to the dungeons and descended them without making sure I was still following him or keeping up with him. The further down we went, the colder I could feel the temperature getting as goosebumps raised on my bare skin. With an almost inconspicuous flick of his wand, his classroom door opened and he hurried inside, with me following a few seconds after. I watched as he crossed the room to his desk before using his wand to reclose the door abruptly behind me.

He sat down at his desk, placing his hands palms down on his desk as his eyes bore into me with a steely gaze. Not sure what to do, I stayed where I was as he assessed suspiciously. I jumped when he finally spoke. "Tell me how."

"I'm sorry, sir?" I stuttered, trying to make sense of his words.

"Tell me how you convinced a teacher who, like everyone else, knows that I do not, under _any_ circumstances, allow students to participate in my NEWT-level Potions class with anything under an Outstanding," he clarified gruffly, keeping his gaze fixed on me.

"I…I don't know, Professor," I stammered shakily. I was trying to keep my voice as stable as I could, but he always made it extremely difficult when you were under his scrutiny.

"I don't believe you," he said monotonously, leaning forward slightly. "Not once in my entire time teaching at this school have I ever had another teacher come to me and try to convince me to admit a student into my NEWT-level class who didn't receive an Outstanding on their OWLs. How did you do it?"

"I swear, Professor. I don't know. All I did was ask him to try and he agreed." I swallowed, wishing he would stop staring at me like I had destroyed his classroom with a potion gone wrong.

He leaned slowly back into his chair, removing his hands from his desk and forming them into a steeple before him. His eyes never wavered from me for a second. "Why would you even think to ask such a fatuous question knowing full well what my answer would be?"

"I felt I needed to try. It's something I've been thinking about since I decided what I would like to pursue as a career," I admitted feebly as I remembered that the exact same thing I wanted was what Snape had been obsessing over for years.

"Hoping to become an Auror?" he asked, an insincere half-smile taking form. I could tell he was mocking me, and it clicked in my brain that he already knew what I wanted my choice of profession to be.

"Actually, sir, it's for a teaching position," I said to him, staring him right in the eyes and feeling an unexpected rush of fearlessness wash over me. Even if I couldn't convince him to let me be a part of his class, I was going to let him know that I wasn't going down without a fight. "I'm aiming to be the permanent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor here at Hogwarts."

His eyes narrowed slightly and his smile faltered as our gazes remained locked on one another. The silence in the dungeon classroom became deafeningly apparent with each passing second as the two of us refused to be the first to look away. I felt my heart pulsing in my throat as I watched him, waiting for him to speak.

"I admire your gallantry," Snape said at last. His posture never relaxed as he readjusted himself in his chair. "Explain to me why I should make an exception and let you slide under my required expectations while every other student who didn't achieve an Outstanding is barred from my class."

I swallowed once more to clear my throat before answering him. "If you're expecting a compelling answer, I'm afraid I can't give you one because even if I could, it still wouldn't be enough to convince you otherwise. I could give you an elaborate speech on why I deserve to be your first exception, I could promise to work harder than any other student in this class, but none of it would matter in the end if your answer is already going to be no."

"Clever girl," Snape said snidely, letting his hands fall into his lap. "That's probably the most veracious thing you've said this entire conversation and while I would absolutely love nothing more than to crush every hope and dream you have about being admitted into my NEWT-level Potions class, I find myself riveted enough to acquiesce to you."

I couldn't help but give Snape a look of absolute incredulity. It was a few seconds before anything could come out of my mouth. "Are you being serious, Professor?"

"As serious as I could possibly be at this given moment," Snape answered me. I was about to ask questions before he interrupted me. "However, it isn't going to come as simply as that I'm afraid. No, if you wish to participate, you're going to have to earn it."

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I don't fully understand what you mean," I admitted feebly, feeling that same sense of unease I had walking into the classroom wash me over.

"I'm allowing you to join my class, but under one condition," Snape said slowly.

"And what would that be, sir?"

"Considering you received less than an Outstanding on your OWLs, I'm not fully convinced you have what it takes to keep up in my class. Therefore, I'm ordering you to procure yourself a tutor that you are to meet with no less than once a week every week for the rest of the year. Your tutor will keep me updated on your progress throughout the year and, if at the end of term, your tutor tells me anything less than outstanding things about your performance, you will find yourself barred from my classroom your seventh year. Whether you succeed or fail is, ultimately, up to you," Snape answered without removing his cold, calculating eyes from mine. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir. But there is one problem. I don't know any of your NEWT-level potions students. Would it be possible to get a recommendation for one from you?" I asked shakily, afraid he would deny me help just to toy with me.

He stared at me a few moments, looking severely annoyed that I had bothered to even ask. Before long, he answered. "I will ask around and see if there would be anyone available." I nodded once and thanked him before turning to leave. Before I could even get the door open, he was speaking again. "Just to be clear, I'm not doing this because I'm impressed by your determination or your Potions skills. I'm doing this because there's something about you that I can't quite put my finger on. It troubles me because you are either the most influential and persuasive person I've ever met, or the most dangerous. Only time will reveal which one it is."

 **...**

 **AUTHOR'** **S** **NOTE** \- _I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I've written so far, but there was a lot of information and it didn't feel right to split the chapter up into 2. Plus it's been a while since my last update so I figured I would make it worth it. Thank you to my continued followers for your support! It means everything to me!_


	11. (11) Trapped

**...**

 **TRIGGER WARNING (RAPE) IN CHAPTER! DON'T READ IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT**

Chapter Eleven  
 _Trapped_  


From the moment I had left Snape's classroom, a grin had seemingly implanted itself on my face and refused to leave for the remainder of the day. Against all odds, I had done the one thing that no other student had been able to do in the past; convince the most unyielding professor in all of Hogwarts to accept me into his NEWT-level Potions class. Even Snape's resounding final comment did nothing to dampen my mood as it reverberated in the back of my mind for the rest of the day.

My first class of that day was Transfiguration and, astoundingly enough, I had made it just before class had started. I took my seat next to Riley amongst the rest of the Ravenclaws on the right side of the room with the Hufflepuff students occupying the left side just as Professor McGonagall entered the classroom from behind us, making her way swiftly to the front. She wasted no time in calling our attention and jumping right into the lesson.

By the end of the day, I had been loaded down with more homework than I ever had before in previous years. When I had heard former sixth years complain about the precipitous increase, I had always thought they were trying to scare us but there was no way to dispute it now that I was experiencing it firsthand. By my calculations, I would be lucky if I was able to get it all finished by midnight with no interruptions.

Mentally exhausted, I trudged my way into the Great Hall after classes for dinner. My eyes immediately began roving the length of the Gryffindor table looking for George. I had regrettably decided to hide out in the library after classes to begin on my homework so I could stay caught up as much as possible, but I wanted to make sure I knew where he was seated so I could have a few moments with him after dinner to share with him my success in being accepted into the NEWT-level Potions class. Spotting him next to Fred, Ron, and Harry at the very end towards the Professor's table, I made my way over to Riley and Jessica and sat down.

"What did Professor Snape want with you this morning?" Jessica probed while turning to face me.

"How did you hear about that?" I asked, feeling my face go red.

"We heard a couple of Slytherin girls talking about it in Arithmancy today," she explained, looking at me and waiting for me to answer her question.

"He just wanted to let me know that he decided to take a chance on me and let me sign up for his NEWT-level class," I answered, looking down at my plate instead of them.

"How?" Riley asked, mouth agape.

"Honestly, I don't even know how I managed to do it. I just explained to him why I wanted it and he agreed to give me a shot," I told them, not wanting to divulge the full story.

"Why would he just all of a sudden make an exception for the first time ever now? It doesn't make any sense," Jessica chimed in suspiciously.

"Maybe I'm the first one who's had the audacity to ever ask him for the opportunity," I offered, hoping they would accept that answer.

"Somehow, I don't think you have been. I've heard stories of other students trying the exact same thing and they'd never even gotten past asking their Head of House on the matter," Riley said knowingly.

I didn't know what else I could say to convince them and get them to stop asking questions, so I just shrugged my shoulders and began to stuff my face to indicate that I didn't want to discuss this any further. I didn't need to look up to know that the both of them were giving each other scrutinizing stares at my explanation.

The rest of dinner passed in relative silence from me. Jessica and Riley had begun to discuss some of the classes they had and describing the amount of homework they had to do for each one. They both attempted multiple times to get me to participate in their conversation, but my replies were short and unstimulating and it eventually left them unwilling to try and converse with me. I loved my friends, but my mind was still reeling triumphantly and it was making it hard to focus on anything else.

Once I had taken my last bite, I was standing up and making my way towards the Gryffindor table before the twins could have the chance to get up and leave before I could speak to George. Plopping down in the now empty seat beside him, I let my triumphant grin spread as widely as my mouth allowed. It didn't take him long to notice my mood after he turned his head to see me sitting next to him.

"I'm going to go ahead and assume that shit-eating grin is representing some good news," he said with a half-smirk while turning to face me and give me his full attention. "Did you get into Potions?"

Too excited to speak, I could only nod my head in response to the question he just asked me. I saw his mouth shape into a grin that matched my own. His eyes began to glimmer with pride at my achievement, but I could still see there was a lingering question hiding in his irises and I could already guess what that question was.

"You want to know how I did it, don't you?" I asked him playfully while pushing his knee gently.

"Was it that obvious? I was trying to avoid asking because I'm sure you've already been asked that question a hundred times since last night," he responded.

"Yes, this is true, but I don't mind answering once more," I said lightly. "But in all honesty, I really don't know how I did it. With Flitwick, it was almost as if he was under my control and I could have gotten him to do anything I wanted at the moment. With Snape, it was different. I had to find the right words that would have stated what I wanted while appealing to his conviction. He was a lot harder to get through to, but I managed it!"

"So, you're in? Just like that?" George asked, letting his excitement show.

"It's Professor Snape. Do you honestly think he would let me in that easily?"

"Very true. So, what did you have to do to get in?"

I was about to answer when a fluttering sounded in my left ear. Turning to the source of the sound, I spotted a paper plane fluttering in the air beside my head. I grabbed the note and looked at George who shared the same look of confusion I had. Opening it revealed a short note written in messy handwriting.

 _I have successfully procured you a suitable tutor. Your first session will be this Friday before dinner and every Friday after that for the rest of the year. Don't be late._  
 _S.S._

"I have to have someone tutor me once a week for the rest of the year," I answered him, showing George the note. "If the tutor gives their approval, I get to be in Potions next year as well. If they don't, I don't get to continue it."

"It doesn't say who will be tutoring you?" George asked, taking the note and reading it over himself.

"No, it doesn't. Maybe he forgot to add that part in there before sending it off."

"It's Professor Snape. He never forgets anything," George said while standing up from the table. "He still holds a grudge against Fred and I for things that we did all the way back in first year. Many Professors would lose their heads if they weren't attached, but never Snape."

"Why do you think he didn't mention it, then?" I asked challengingly, standing up myself and following him towards the Great Hall doors.

"I honestly don't know. It could be he was too busy, or maybe he wants to see you squirm in anticipation. For all you know, he could have lied to you about finding a tutor and is setting you up for failure," he said as we made our way down an empty corridor at a leisurely pace.

"And, how exactly would he be setting me up for failure by not finding me a tutor?"

"So this way he doesn't have to follow through with your deal. You could wind up going to his classroom Friday evening, be waiting all night for your tutor, and then come Monday morning Snape boots you from the class because the tutor he found for you claims you never showed up for your first session all because Snape told them to say it."

"I swear, George, some of the things you think of," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

George took my hand to stop me. He guided me back until my back was against the wall and he was towering over me. I could see the worry in his eyes as he stared at me. Unsure of what to do or say, I waited until he spoke first.

"Maybe I am reading too much into it. Or maybe I just know him well enough to believe that he would sink that low just to sabotage a student," George said after a while.

"Why would he agree to give me a chance when he could have told me no all along? Do you really think he would purposely plan something like this? What would he gain from it?" I asked him, challenging him to prove me wrong.

"The satisfaction of humiliating you for requesting to join his Potions class without the proper OWLs for it," George answered without hesitation, not once letting his gaze falter.

"Maybe I haven't known him as long as you have, but it doesn't seem like Snape has the time nor the patience to plan something elaborate enough just to humiliate one student in private. Snape leans more towards public humiliation and I know even you can admit to that."

George sighed and dropped his head, finally breaking his stare. He shook his head and chuckled softly before looking back up at me. "You could be right. But I'm still nervous about the whole thing. I don't want to have to teach him a lesson for getting your hopes up just to squash them."

Biting my lower lip, I took a step towards George. I grabbed a fist full of his robes and hoisted myself onto my toes until I was closer to his face. "I'm a big girl, George. I'm sure I can take whatever Snape has in store for me. Good or bad," I said, sounding as confident as I could. I met his lips with mine, kissing him slowly and passionately before pulling away and ducking away from underneath him. "I better get back so I can finish my homework. I won't become the new Defense teacher by slacking!" I called after him as I hurried away towards the Ravenclaw tower.

 **…**

Friday after afternoon classes had been dismissed, I made my way anxiously towards the dungeons where I would meet the person who would be tutoring me for the next year in Potions. While I knew it was absurd to think Snape was setting me up, George's words kept repeating over and over in my head like a bad song stuck on repeat. And no matter how many times I tried to convince myself otherwise, I still couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness that was creeping through my body the further I descended down the dungeon stairs.

I reached Snape's classroom and pushed open the door, walking inside. My arms prickled up in goosebumps as soon as the cooler temperature of the classroom washed over my skin. Without waiting, I walked over to one of the tables and set my bad down on it, setting up my cauldron and dropping my Potions book onto the table right next to it. I debated on sitting down, but my nerves were working on overdrive, so I opted to look around the classroom at items that I normally don't get the chance to observe.

The shelves in Snape's room were filled with jars of different types of ingredients. Most of them I knew after using them in many potions over the years, but there were so many that I didn't have a clue what they were, or what they did. I began to carefully read the labels on each individual jar so I would know what exactly I was looking for during these sessions. I had gotten so caught up with the ingredients that I didn't realize I was no longer alone in the classroom until someone had spoken.

"Sorry I'm late. I had a bit of a situation with McGonagall towards the end of class," the person said in a rather irritated voice.

I jumped in surprise at the voice and quickly turned around to see Cassius Warrington hastily dropping his bag onto the table next to mine. He turned to face me and gestured for me to sit down.

"I'm sorry, but I think there's been a mistake," I said as I rushed towards my items and began packing them up in my bad.

"Why would this be a mistake? You told Snape you needed help finding a tutor, correct?" he asked.

"Yes, I did, but if I would have known he'd chosen you I never would have agreed to this. I'm not comfortable with you being my tutor," I told him icily as I headed for the door.

"It's either me, or no one," he said loudly, making me stop in my tracks. "I'm the best Potions student he's got and for him to choose me to tutor you should make you feel honored. If you're worried about sabotage, which I know you are because it's written all over your face, you don't need to worry. As of right now, I have everything to lose and nothing to gain by letting you fail advanced Potion making whether it's intentional or not. I've got an in at the Ministry of Magic as soon as I graduate and if I let you fail, I fail myself and I lose my position before I even start. So unless you want to sacrifice the only opportunity that you have of taking this class, I suggest you sit down because Snape doesn't give second chances, so I suggest you be grateful he let you in at all."

Every part of me was screaming to run, but he did make a good point. This was going to be my only opportunity and if I walked away now, I'd never get it back. The way he was talking sounded genuine enough and nothing about his body language or the way he was talking to me indicated he had any ill intentions, so why did I get this gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach?

Against my better judgement, I turned and walked back to the table and set up my items again.

"Very good. Now, we're going to start by getting you familiar with some of the ingredients you were studying when I walked in. It's best you know what they are, what they do, and how they react to certain variables before we even begin to start making Potions. These recipes can be very dangerous and deadly. One wrong ingredient could land you in the hospital wing, or in a grave," he said in a serious voice as he walked over and began grabbing jar after jar of ingredients.

"Why did you agree to tutor me?" I asked curiously while he moved around.

"I've got my reasons. Mainly because this would only further secure my promised position at the Ministry. Now, unless any other questions you have pertains to Potion making, please keep them to yourself until afterwards. This is critical information you'll need to know and it's better you find out this way instead of the hard way," he answered curtly as he made his way back to the table to set down the jars.

"And what, exactly, is the hard way?"

Cassius looked at me and gave me a small smile that looked forced. "By making a mistake and almost losing your face because flames are exploding out of your cauldron because you confused one ingredient with another. Any more questions?"

I pursed my lips and shook my head no, gesturing for him to continue.

 **…**

"And that concludes our first session," Cassius proclaimed dully, closing his book at the same time. I quickly gathered up my things and shoved them back into my bag, trying to leave as soon as I possibly could. I reached the door and was about to turn the handle when Cassius spoke behind me, making me stop in my tracks. "We aren't done yet."

"What do you mean? The hour is up and, if you don't mind, I would like to make it to the Great Hall for dinner before I get a start on my homework," I said in response, continuing to reach for the handle again.

"I mean that we still have to discuss how you intend to pay me for my services to you. I'm taking time out of my day to ensure that you get what you want, so the least you can do is take the time out of yours to give me what I want," Cassius answered sinisterly, standing up and walking dangerously slow around the table.

"If you're wanting money, you'll have to wait. I don't have any extra on me at the moment but I'm sure my parents can send me some to pay you," I offered. My throat instantly became dry as I noticed the predator-like gleam in his eyes as he watched me. A cold sweat broke out all over me and I found I couldn't move. My mind kept yelling at my legs to get moving, but his gaze held me in my spot. Time slowed way down as I waited and I began to wonder if this is what a rabbit feels like when it's hunted by a large cat.

"It isn't money that I'm wanting, Maryse Shaw. That's right. I remember you. I remember you very well," he purred minaciously while steadily approaching me. "Do you know what I also remember? The day you punched me in front of my friends outside the Quidditch pitch." His tone suddenly became powerful and forceful.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. My emotions got the best of me and-."

"It's too late for that now," Cassius snapped angrily at me, closing the distance between us. He placed one hand on the door frame and leaned in close to me until I could feel the heat that emanated from his body. "You overstepped your place, mudblood. And now you're going to pay."

I snapped out of the trance his gaze had left me in and quickly ducked under arm. My hand began reaching for my wand, but before I could get it out of my pocket, I felt his hand grip down tightly on my wrist. I yelped as he twisted it hard and pulled me back against him. He turned us until we were facing the wall before he shoved me into it. I immediately began yelling for help until I felt a rough hand grab a handful of my hair and pull my head back before smashing it against the cold stone.

"You better not try that again but just in case you do..." Cassius hissed in my ear. A few seconds later, I felt his wand held up against my throat. " _Silencio_." I tried opening my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

"Perfect," I heard him say in my ear. I tried wriggling around but that only caused him to push me harder against the wall, completely pinning me so I couldn't move. The unmistakable sound of a belt being undone hit my ears and I began to panic as I fully realized what he intended to do to me.

With every ounce of my being, I struggled against him, trying as hard as I could to get him to loosen his hold enough so I could escape. My efforts only caused him to get angrier because soon it felt like I was going to pop with the weight of him bearing into me. My blood turned to ice as I felt his hand reach underneath my skirt, trailing his fingers gently along the outside of my underwear. I heard him groan softly as he began to rub me from the outside of the fabric.

I tried struggling again in one last attempt, but it didn't do any good.

His hand pushed aside the thin fabric of my underwear before he thrust himself roughly into me. I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but the silencing charm suppressed it. Tears formed in my eyes as a pain I had never felt before radiated throughout my body. With each thrust, Cassius groaned in my ear, clearly not bothered by what he was doing to me.

Minutes turned into hours as I silently prayed for the whole thing to be over with, or for someone to walk in and stop him. I was screaming and crying, but no one could hear me. No one knew I was still down here as everyone was already most likely heading for the Great Hall getting ready for dinner. Everyone was more concerned over the staggering amount of homework they had to do over the weekend than over one person who just so happened to be missing. It wasn't like it was an uncommon occurrence with sixth and seventh years as they attempted to keep up with their classes.

After a while, I began to go numb. Not just in between my legs, but all over. Not once in my entire life had I ever imagined I'd be being raped in a school full of magic and defensive spells. Never had I ever felt so hopeless and defenseless as I did right then at that very moment.

Cassius gave one final thrust inside of me and let out a loud moan before becoming still. He pulled out of me and chuckled a little bit before looking down at himself. His chuckle became louder as he wiped his manhood with his hand before reaching around and showing me his fingers.

"I guess George won't be getting this from you," he said, gloating at what he had done. "I suggest that you keep quiet about this whole thing if you know what's good for you. But just in case you get the impulse to tell anyone..." Cassius wiped his hand on his black school pants before pulling out his wand and turning me to face him. " _Absitum Revelus_."

A cloud of grey smoke emitted from the tip of his wand and swirled up until it filled the inside of my mouth with a chalky after taste. I began coughing, silently at first but gradually increasing in volume as the silencing charm began to wear off.

"What did you do to me?" I asked through coughing fits.

"A spell of my own creation. It means forbid to reveal which means that no matter who you try to tell or how you try to tell it, you will never be able to speak or write about what just happened here today. It will forever be between you and I," Cassius responded coldly as he stared down at me. "I also expect you to drink this. This will take care of any unwanted consequences."

"And what if I refuse?" I asked as he dropped a vial of icy-blue liquid into my hand.

"If I find out you aren't drinking it, I will turn everything around on you and you won't be able to defend yourself or deny it. So, it's probably best that you heed me and do as I say. Your future depends on it. I'll see you next week, Maryse."

He gave me one last wicked smile before I bolted from the room, not realizing that I almost ran into someone who was waiting outside the door.

 **...**

 **AUTHOR'S** **NOTE** \- _Yes, it has been way too long without an update. I have not forgotten about this story! Life has just gotten extremely busy and it took me a while on and off to work on this chapter. The beginning was hard to work with as I knew how I wanted the chapter to end, but I needed to find a way to build up to it so hopefully it worked out well enough. To all those who follow and reviewed, thank you! Your reviews mean so much to me!_


	12. (12) Changes

**...**

 **Chapter Twelve**

Changes

My mind was lost in a different dimension it seemed because I didn't remember anything between the time I had run out of the Potions classroom up until I returned to the sixth year girl's dorm room. I couldn't recall any faces I may have passed, didn't know if anyone had tried talking to me, or if I had attempted to talk to anyone.

Once I had closed the door to the room, I began walking towards my bed, inattentively letting my school bag drop to the floor with a thud. With every step, I could feel a painful throb course through me starting from between my legs and pulsating out around my lower abdomen and my lower back. Sitting down on my bed, I unclenched my fist that I wasn't aware was clenched, and stared vacantly at the vial of icy-blue potion that Cassius had given to me before I had run out of the classroom. Everything he had said to me repeated in my mind. I could still clearly see his face and the paralyzing gaze that never left mine the entire time he spoke to me.

I sat there on my bed like that for what felt like hours as my mind involuntarily replayed what had just happened. Every scene was as clear and as vivid in my mind as it had been in person. Every echoed word, every touch, every predatory glance, every agonizing thrust. The more I thought about it, the more my stomach turned as the word _raped_ thundered against the back of my mind on repeat. Before I knew it, I was up and running to the bathroom. I had barely made it before a wave of vomit had landed in the toilet.

 _I was raped._

The words formed in my mind. I repeated them to myself over and over in my head as I tried to vocally say them, testing the spell that Cassius had placed on me to see if what he had said was in fact true, or if it was all a scare tactic.

Every time I tried to open my mouth to speak that one sentence, I found I couldn't do it. My throat would immediately close up and it would feel like my entire mouth was paralyzed with every attempt. I stood up and walked back to the dorm rooms as quickly as I could. I found my bag on the floor right where I had dropped it. Pulling out a quill, ink, and some parchment, I walked over to the desk in the corner of the room and made an attempt to write out the sentence.

I had just dipped my quill in ink and brought it over to the parchment when my hand froze in midair, the tip of the quill just hovering over it. It was as if an invisible hand had grabbed my wrist and was holding it firmly in place, preventing me from writing. A small bead of ink dripped onto the blank parchment before I gave up the idea. My hand became slack so I dropped the quill and pulled my hand to my body, rubbing my wrist gently. I began to panic as I realized that Cassius may not have been bluffing at all.

Refusing to give up, I decided to try another tactic to maybe see if there was a way to trick the spell. I grabbed my quill again and dipped the tip into the inkwell again before bringing it back over to the parchment. I formed an innocent sentence in my mind and found that I could write it out with no issue.

 _The OWLs are fast approaching._

I dipped the quill tip into the ink once more and began writing the same sentence, but instead of writing _fast approaching_ after _The OWLs are,_ I attempted to write _I was raped_ instead. I couldn't even start the sentence before that invisible grip was on my hand again, preventing me from writing down anything further.

I threw the quill down in frustration and swiped the parchment off the desk while letting out a scream. The scream continued to pierce the otherwise silent room, tears forming in my eyes and dripping down my face in hot torrents. I turned and threw myself onto my bed and buried my face in my pillow to muffle the sounds of my sobbing so nobody could hear. If they had heard and decided to check in on me, I would have no idea what I would say to them. I wouldn't be able to say anything except lie and tell them I was okay when in reality, I was far from it.

Despair and rage swept through me as I continued to remind myself what Cassius had done. I hated him more than I had ever hated anyone before in my entire life. Not just because he raped me, but because he made it so I couldn't say anything to anyone about it. Because of him, I was forced to suffer in silence.

The screams subsided and I shifted a little on the bed, feeling something jabbing into my stomach. I sat up and felt around until my fingers enclosed around the vial of icy-blue liquid that I was instructed to take. Half of me wanted to throw the vial and watch it shatter against the wall but I couldn't do it. The other half of me kept reminding me that if I didn't take it, I could wind up pregnant with a child that belonged to him. While he didn't necessarily say that, I knew it was implied when he said the word consequences.

So instead of throwing the vial, I uncorked it and swallowed the potion that was inside. Once I knew it was gone, I threw the vial across the room and fell down onto my bed against and closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I had passed out.

 **…**

I awoke the next morning to a throbbing ache in between my legs, my hips, and my lower back that was more pronounced than it had the evening before. Memories instantly flooded my mind about why that ache was there in the first place and I felt sick to my stomach again. I raced out of the room and towards the bathroom again, shouldering past the other Ravenclaw students that were just waking up for the day as well.

An episode of dry heaving began just as I was closing the bathroom stall and had barely made it in time before I retched nothing but stomach acid into the clear water of the toilet. The back of my throat burned from the aftermath and my mouth carried a horrible aftertaste. Several Ravenclaw girls were watching me intently as I left the bathroom and I knew that as soon as I was gone, they would be talking about this.

As I was walking back to the dorm, Jessica stepped in front of me, blocking my entrance.

"George was looking for you at dinner last night. He thought you would have been done with your tutoring session by then," she said with concern in her eyes. "Is everything alright?"

The same phrase that I had repeated in my mind last night came back to mind now, but I didn't even attempt to say anything. I knew there was no use in trying, so I responded with the exact opposite of what I really wanted to say. "Of course! Everything's fine. I was just feeling a bit under the weather so I decided to skip dinner and came straight back to the dorm."

Jessica looked at me skeptically and folded her arms as she slowly and silently searched my face. I'm not sure exactly how I looked at this point as I didn't get the opportunity to look at my reflection in the mirror, but I'm sure I looked horrible enough to be convincing. If anything, I hoped she had seen me rush to the bathroom and would drop it.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're looking a little pale and worn out. Maybe you should go see Madaam Pomfrey just to make sure," she suggested with a worried expression on her face.

"I promise, Jess. I'm absolutely fine. It's just a bit of the flu. I'll be fine by tomorrow," I assured her.

She finally let me pass into the room but I could still sense that she didn't believe that I was alright. Thankfully, she didn't push the subject any further.

"How did the session go yesterday? Who did you get as your tutor?" she began asking and I felt my stomach drop. Even if I could discuss how the session went, I didn't want to. Not with Jessica. Yes, she was my friend, but she had a tendency to overreact and take things to the extreme.

"Umm...it was okay, I guess. Nothing major happened except for naming and getting familiar with ingredients that are only introduced in sixth year," I lied. The whole time, my mind was screaming the truth at me. "Believe it or not, Cassius Warrington is my tutor."

"Cassius? From Slytherin?" Jessica asked with slight enthusiasm. She secretly had a crush on Cassius and I knew that she would be slightly jealous at the fact that I was meeting up with him every Friday for an hour, but if only she could know the truth.

I only managed to nod before I began to head for the door. I didn't want to answer any other questions that she may have for me in case I decided to start crying and screaming in frustration again with no way to explain why. "Hey, I'll catch you later. There's something I need to go do and I should probably go find George to explain to him why I didn't come to dinner last night."

I didn't give her the chance to say anything else before I slipped out the door and shut it hurriedly behind me. Walking quickly through the common room, I emerged from the entrance and rushed down the stairs, flying past other students that were most likely heading to the Great Hall for breakfast.

My stomach rumbled and I was reminded that I hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. While my body told me I should eat something, my mind was warning me that it may not be a good idea because I most likely wouldn't be able to keep it down anyways. I brushed the idea out of my head and headed straight for the dungeons. My plan was to talk to Snape about finding me another tutor because Cassius wasn't that great of a teacher since I couldn't say the real reason why.

I could find a way to live with what he had done to me if this was the only time, but I was afraid of what would become of me if I were to continue to let it happen.

As quickly as I could go without the lower half of my body screaming at me in protest, I descended the stairs that would take me to the dungeons. The closer I came to Snape's classroom, the more my stomach churned as the flashbacks from yesterday came full swing once more. I grabbed the door handle of the Potion's classroom and pushed it open, being welcomed by the same gloominess that was always present.

"I'm sorry to just barge in like this, Professor. I was hoping that you maybe had a moment so I could speak to you about something," I said to him. As I walked towards Snape's desk, I felt my breath catch harshly in my throat as I realized that he wasn't alone. Cassius was standing beside the desk with a charming smile on his face as if he had done nothing wrong in this very room just the day before. "What's he doing here?"

"Mr. Warrington was invited in by me so I could inquire about how your session went yesterday to get a bit of insight on how well he expects you to progress throughout the year," Snape replied curtly. He had stacks of parchment littering his desk and a quill in his hand that he was tapping impatiently against the dark, grainy wood. "To be honest, I am quite astounded by what he had to say."

I felt my throat go dry as I began to imagine how he had managed to turn the whole thing around on me and said that I had raped him. My heart began to beat rapidly as I promptly tried to think of a possible way I could deny the allegations and get the truth out without the spell stopping me.

"As much as I was overtly hoping to watch you fail miserably, I'm commendably impressed with how well he says you've been able to catch on and keep up with just the first session. The effort you exhibited in your first advanced class this past week sounds equivalent to what Cassius has just told me," Snape explained. His tone nor his demeanor changed, but he wasn't looking at me with disgust or distaste like I had expected. "I expect repeatable effort from you for the rest of year. Now, you said you had something to talk to me about."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I had no idea what to say and it wasn't because of Cassius's spell. I had come in here fully prepared to plead my case as best as I could as to why I needed a new tutor just to find out that not only did Snape personally ask for Cassius's report, but that my rapist had now taken away any chance I had at getting away from him. There would be no way that Snape would find someone else now that he believes that everything is progressing as it should.

"This is my fault, Professor. I was a little hard on her yesterday with our lesson because I wanted her to be fully prepared. I don't think she was expecting to walk in here today to hear me give her such high praise to you," Cassius cut in after a few seconds. The smile never left his face but I could see that his eyes were as cold as ice while he spoke.

"I'm going to have to agree as she hasn't said a word since walking in here unannounced," Snape said flatly while leaning forward over his desk, quill being held in midair. "You both can leave now. I don't have all day and I have loads of first year homework to grade."

With that, Snape went back to work grading papers. Cassius stepped away from the desk and walked towards me, stopping briefly and looking down at me. I continued to look forward, afraid to meet those eyes.

"I'll see you next week," he said softly. To anyone else, what he had said sounded innocently enough, but I could hear the threat laced within those words.

I waited until I heard the door open which signaled that Cassius had left the classroom. Not wanting to get on Snape's bad side, I turned and headed in the same direction. I was half expecting Cassius to be waiting for me outside in the corridor, but when I exited the classroom, I saw no sign of him.

Not wanting to wait around in case he decided to come back, I beelined it for the staircase, taking the steps two at a time until I was no longer in the dungeons. There were several students milling about the corridor upstairs but I wasn't paying attention to who was who. I lowered my head and ducked in between them, making my way to nowhere in particular. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go, but I knew I couldn't go back to my dorm room without being pestered with questions from Jessica.

In fact, I wasn't sure I wanted to be bothered by anyone.

I found a corridor that was devoid of students and noise, so I let myself fall back against the wall and sink to the ground. Before I knew it, heavy sobs racked my entire body and tears were welling up in my eyes, making them burn. Cassius had me trapped and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it.

 **…**

George

"I'll catch you later, yeah?" George asked his twin as they walked side by side down the corridor. Fred was off to find Angelina while George would try and find Maryse. He was becoming increasingly worried now that he hadn't seen her at breakfast either.

"Wait a second. Do you hear that?" Fred asked, placing a finger up to his ear.

Both of the boys stopped walking and George listened as intently as his brother was.

"I don't hear anything," George said after a few seconds.

"Maybe I'm just going crazy then," Fred said back. "I'll see you back in the common room."

George waved and continued walking, taking the familiar corridors that would take him to the Ravenclaw tower staircase. He figured if he didn't see her along the way, he would wait until someone from Ravenclaw was coming up and he would ask them to see if she was in there. It wasn't long before he started hearing a noise that was increasing in volume the further he continued forward.

The closer to the source of the noise he got, the more it sounded like someone was crying. Without thinking about it, he was taking off at a run and pulling his wand out in the process, thinking that someone was in trouble. He turned one final corner and came to stop as he saw a girl sitting against the wall on the floor, crying into her arms that were folded on top of her knees.

"Are you alright?" George asked tentatively, stepping towards her slowly while keeping his wand held up defensively, his eyes darting left and right for anything out of the ordinary.

The girl didn't respond to him which he assumed was because she didn't hear him. He approached her and pocketed his wand before reaching down to touch her.

"Let me help you up," he said calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Before he knew what was happening, she jumped and pushed his hand back, her muscles tensing as she cowered away from him. When he caught a glimpse of her face, his breath caught in his throat as he realized it was Maryse, but she wasn't acting like herself. There was a frightened, defeated look in her eye that was similar to Ron whenever he saw spiders and everything about her body language was out of the ordinary. It honestly scared him and made him worry.

"Hey, calm down! It's only me!" George immediately said, trying to comfort her as he noticed she didn't realize it was him.

After a few seconds, her eyes returned to normal and the look of fright that was once in her eyes was replaced with relief. Without any hesitation, she leaned towards him and fell into his arms. He knelt there with her, letting his arms wrap around her tightly as she continued to cry into his chest.

"Is everything alright?" George asked softly, rubbing small circles with his thumb into her back.

"Everything's fine," she answered, her voice muffled from his chest. "I'm just a little overwhelmed and I'm not feeling all that well. I'll be fine in a day or two." She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes before looking at him with a forced smile.

"You're sure everything is fine? I've never seen you act like this before from stress," he said skeptically.

"Yes, George. Everything is great. I promise."

She continued to show him that fake smile and George couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something from him. He may not be the brightest person in the school, but he could tell when someone was lying.

 **...**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE** \- _I've been trying to get these updates out as quickly as I can, but life usually doesn't allow for that sadly. So thank you all for your patience, and thank you to all my followers and to everyone who has reviewed so far!_


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